2019 marks the 90th Anniversary of the R.L. Winston Rod Company. To celebrate this milestone, our friends at Winston are releasing a series of special edition legacy fly rods. This special run will feature some of Winston’s most revered models, including the Boron IIT, the DL4, the WT and the IM6.
For a very limited time, Anglers All customers will have the opportunity to special order one of these commemorative 90th anniversary rods.
Nobody around here knows Winston rods like Anglers All manager and Winston Pro-Staffer Greg Garcia. He’s been fishing Winston fly rods for more than 30 years. It all began with a phone call to Winston, when previous owner and rod designer, Tom Morgan answered the phone.
“My competitive cycling career was coming to a close in the late 1980s, and that’s when I jumped full-force into fly fishing,” Greg Told us. “I was reading Fly Fisherman Magazine, and came across the 4-weight shootout, written by George Anderson of Yellowstone Angler.”
At that time, Anderson said that he compared all other 4-weights to the Winston rods.
“If it was good enough for George Anderson, it was good enough for me,” Greg said. “So I started looking around for a Winston. But at that time, graphite was hard to find. Fly shops everywhere were backordered. Finally, I put in a call to Winston Rods in Twin Bridges Montana. Tom Morgan answered the phone.”
“The fact that the company’s owner and designer would take the time to talk to someone about his fly rods was impressive,” Greg continued. “He gave me the names of a few shops in Montana that might have 4-weights in stock.”
Greg eventually found a fly shop that had an IM6 8’ 4-weight in stock. He bought the rod for $395.
“That was a major purchase for me at the time, and I’ve been a fishing Winston fly rods ever since.”
As a part of their new 90th Anniversary Legacy Series, Winston will be offering four different rods:
Boron IIT 8’6” 4-Weight
First, is the Boron IIT 8’6” 4-Weight. Sometimes referred to as “the staff of Moses”, this four-piece rod developed a legendary reputation among dry fly anglers. Order Now!
DL4 7’6” 3-Weight
Second, Winston will offer a 90th Anniversary edition of the DL4 7’6” 3-Weight. This four-piece rod became known as the graphite rod with a fiberglass soul, and is regarded as one of the finest small stream rods ever made. Order Now!
WT 8’6” 5-Weight
Next, Winston will be releasing an anniversary edition of its WT 8’6” 5-Weight. This three-piece rod is probably most well known for being Joan Wulff’s favorite. Order Now!
IM6 9’ 5-Weight
Finally, longtime Winston fans still rave about Winston’s all-time classic rod, the two-piece IM6 9’ 5-Weight. This is the graphite rod that introduced the world to that classic, “Winston feel”. Order Now!
Limited Time to Order
These four Winston 90th Anniversary Legacy Rods are only available by pre-order. What’s more, the window is short. Orders will only be accepted through July 1st, 2019. We are accepting orders now, and rods are expected to begin shipping in September.
Each of these rods will be hand-inscribed as special edition models. They will all feature original specifications, including the original ferrule style, materials and action. To complete the classic look, each rod will have the historic Winston Trophy label and uplocking nickel silver reel seat.
If you have questions about these 90th Anniversary legacy rods from Winston, please don’t hesitate to visit us at the fly shop. Or give us a call at 303-794-1104. We’d love to help you order one of these unique pieces of Winston fly fishing history!