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See below for Winston St Croix March Brown Albright.
We have tested the Winston Fly Rods and offer the following observations on their efficiency for you consideration. When choosing a rod, there are a number of considerations to be taken into account. On smaller waters distance casting is not so important, yet if the area is prone to wind, it is nice to have the power to cast into the wind without too much effort. In faster moving water it is good to have a stiffer rod which will enable one to control a fighting fish in the current. On the other hand, in slower moving water, a softer rod will permit more delicate presentation. Winston offers a range of rods which easily accomodate these various competing requirements. BIIx - This is a newer generation fast action rod which we have found has been well accepted by our clients. We are offering a package deal at the moment with a lamson litespeed which is very popular. Our staff field tested it in the early part of the year and found the combination excellent. The rod is both light and extremely responsive. There is no difficulty in shooting the line big distances but still maintaining delicate presentation. In addition it is stiff enough to easily control a fish in fast moving water to enable the fisherman to land his catch quickly There are very few other rods in this style of fast action rods which compare favorably. That is why we have decided to offer this model as the ultimate in fast action superior performance in the 4 and 5 weight class. In 2005 Winston introduced a 9'6" version of the rod. It is available from 5wt up. We have field tested it and found it excellent in heavier conditions. For example, when fishing 2 large nymnphs with 3 shot to get the rig down in the fast running Roaring Fork during run-off, with great ease the rod was able to respond quickly and accurately when casting from a boat. A lighter rod would have struggled under the weight. The extra 6" gave that extra leverage which made the casting easier. On the other hand, it does not work well fishing a size #20 baetis dry with 7x tippet. There is just too much rod! Attempts at mending became rollcasts which disturbed the fly. So although an excellent rod it has a specific purpose. The WT. This Winston traditional style rod suits those fishing the pan seeking the utmost delicacy in presentation without the necessity of long distance casts. It is gentle and accurate and makes other rods claiming to be in this class a mere shadow. The 3wt is excellent on the Pan and easily does the job of other 4wts. The key is to have the rod well balanced with a light reel to appreciate the subtlety. It is gentle with the lightest tippet yet has the power to place the fly where you like. For example, on the Pan a good drift can sometimes be achieved only with a good pile cast. The WT has just the correct amount of power to lift the line high without casting it too far and lose the effect of the cast. The only criticism of the WT for a water like the pan is that there is always the chance of getting a good sized fish which needs to be controlled quickly and get it out of the current. The WT struggles with larger fish in a current. That is not good for the fish as it prolongs the fight. However, if the water level is low and the current is not an issue it is a beautiful little rod. The LT. The LT successfully makes a compromise between the WT and the BIIx. It is an excellent choice for the fisherman who wants a single rod which will suit his purposes in both the smaller and larger waters. The 4wt LT works well on the Pan. It is perfect for any distance you might want to cast. Yet it is soft enough to enable one to cast a serious distance with 8x tippet and a #24 adams or BWO without threatening to snap off the fly. It is also stiff enough to enable the fisherman to control a fish in the current and land it relatively quickly - a problem with a softer rod. The Tom Morgan Favourite. The TMF is an 8ft 4wt WT/IM6. It has a slightly softer tip than standard WT. And I must say that as a dry fly rod on the Pan it is a thing of beauty. It is gentle and allows excellent presentation. One of the distinctive characteristics is its ability to handle very light tippet when playing a fish. I usually fish 7x on the Pan and sometimes 8x when the water is quieter or brighter. The TMF has enabled me to land some large fish in running water where any other rod would have been just too much and the tippet would have broken. Of course it does mean that one has the fish on a little longer while waiting for it to tire so one must take care that the fish is fine when releasing it. But it certainly enables me, with patience, to land a lot more fish with light tippet than otherwise. It is one of my personal favourites for the Pan. Try one and if you enjoy dry fly fishing as much as I do, I cannot overstate how much you will enjoy it. We are currently offering a great deal on new Winston Fly rods so have a look at our sale page and give the shop a call.
We find that the St Croix selection of fly rods offers excellent value to fly fishermen. The effort which the company has devoted to developing a credible offering to the serious fly fisherman should be experienced as part of the process of selecting one's equipment. We offer several St. Croixs in a various packages which give the new entrant or the person seeking value an excellent opportunity. In our view St. Croix have put a lot of effort into developing their range of trout rods and the results show. We certainly recommend that you try out the St. Croix when shopping for another rod. One special mention is made of the 8 weight Ultra. At its price point its an amazing piece of equipment for the salt water enthusiast. I certainly suggest that when shopping for an 8 weight that you cast one alongside other 8 weights as make up your own mind. At about half the price of other 8 weights it is certainly not half the rod!
March Brown. A beautiful little series of rods built for the hiker or back country fisherman who loves to get to those hard to reach streams and lakes away from it all.
This travel rod fits neatly into all the right little places to enable the traveller to reach a destination with a minimum of fuss in terms of storage.
The Albright XX. For those of you who like to throw heavy streamers or 2 medium to heavy streamers, you will understand the frustration trying to find a rod which won't collapse under the weight. We have found the answer. It is the Albright XX series of rods. The problem with streamers is that most cast them use a fast action rod, thinking that this will be able to get them out the distance you want. In fact the key is a slow action tip which will absorb some of the energy on the back cast and then release that stored energy on the forward cast. The Albright XX series of rods, was not made with this in mind. It is actually a rod designed to cast sinking tip lines. However, we have found that they are an excellent design for heavy streamers. So much so that it permits the fishermen to use a lighter rod in the same circumstances one would naturally be using a heavier rod to do the work. The added attraction of the Albright XX is the very reasonble cost of the rod next to the other high priced rods which fail when put under the pressure of heavy streamers. So if you like the action of drifting along the bank of the river throwing heavy streamers at those big lurking browns in the autumn, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you did not at least test drive the Albright XX #6 or #7 comparing it to your favorite #7 or #8 for heavy streamers. We are not joking when suggesting one weight less in comparison. We have done the test too many times. This is an excellent and very reasonably priced rod for what it can do.
Give us a call at the shop and if you are by try one out. You will be surprised just how excellently these little 7 piece rods perform. And they are so reasonably priced for what they are. We are currently selling the 3wt for $175. For more details call us on (970) 927-3441 or visit the website of March Brown here
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