Ed Mitchell Outdoors

It’s time to talk about casting that Kabuto 7-foot, 3-weight fly rod we looked at a few posts back. www.kabutorods.com   This rod has a progressive taper. The action is moderate (mid-flex), but faster than the older Winston glass rods mentioned on this site. That comparison is a bit tenuous, however, because the Winstons have many years of use.

Given how much we anglers vary (height, weight, age, strength, and athletic ability) casting is always a subjective experience. With a 3-weight line, this rod loads in the upper 1/3. And for me, the Kabuto casts comfortably. It is accurate and very much at ease out to 45 feet. I tried a 2-weight line as well. The rod cast it, but felt underlined. Unfortunately, I did not have a 4-weight fly line handy, so I tried a 5-weight next. The rod loaded much deeper – down at least to the stripping guide. Yet the rod cast surprisingly well, courtesy of the power in the butt section. Hence, a 4-weight line is definitely an option. (If this rod interests you, be sure to read recent update on 4wt line!) This range makes the Kabuto a versatile rod, capable of adapting to the owner’s casting style and needs.

Finally, here are two general thoughts about small glass rods. Short rods have one distinct disadvantage; they make it harder to mend line. This quickly becomes apparent when casting a dry fly over a complex current. The remedy lies in improving your curve-cast, your wiggle-cast, and your reach-cast. Next, when an increase in distance is required, a fast tip-action graphite rod usually responds well to an increase in casting force. A slower fiberglass rod often doesn’t. And, the slower the rod, the truer this becomes. So what do you do when that big trout pops up a bit farther out? You lengthen your casting stroke-the distance your casting hand travels from front to back.

If you’re interested in learning more about these fly rods, visit this excellent site www.thefiberglassmanifesto.blogspot.com Have a great day with your glass rod.

Winston 3-piece 6wt

Today there are a growing number of fiberglass fly rod fans. And with good reason. Glass rods can be great. So I thought it would be fun to cover another one.  Truth is I own seven Winston glass fly rods, ranging from the smallest one they made to the largest.  In this post we’ll look at a middle of the road model – a Winston fiberglass 8-foot, 3-piece, 2-tip, 6-weight fly rod.

This is the first Winston I bought, and still my favorite. As with the rest, I acquired it directly from the factory. Even now, it is still my favorite all-around trout rod. From the Beaverkill to the Bow River, I have caught more trout on this rod then any other. It weighs 3 1/8 ounces. The action is progressive, and in today’s world would be listed as slow-to-moderate. Although intended for a 6-weight line, early on I found it was best in my hands with a DT5. As the seasons slipped by, I switched to a WF5 and never looked back.

Like all Winston glass, this rod is brown with red wraps (Gudebrod), tipped in turns of clear. Built with phenolic resin, it wears a down-locking reel seat, cigar grip, carboloy stripping guide, and spigot ferrules. In the casting department, this is a terrific performer, able to work in tight, yet ready to reach out. Even after 30 years of hard use, it will easily cast 40 feet and farther.

This rod along with the Stalker – mentioned in the post below – became my streamside dynamic duo. Ready to deliver anything from a size 8 streamer to a size 20 BWO. On occasion, I carried both  down the trail. The 6-weight rode in my hand. The Stalker, in its tube, rode on my back. Most of the day, the 6-weight was the right wand. Then as the light faded, and the fish rose, I switched to the Stalker.  The duo made for a great day on the water. Winston  Stalker, Winston Retro Rod,

Winston Glass 5wt, Winston Glass 8wt,Winston Glass 10-weight,

Winston Glass Big Game 12wt 

If you’re interested in learning more about glass fly rods, visit this excellent site www.thefiberglassmanifesto.blogspot.com

Available in ’70s and ’80s, the Winston Stalker fiberglass fly rods were designed to fish with the delicacy of Winston’s famous “Lettle Feller” bamboo rods; which had been around since the ’30s, and first developed for small dry flies on Catskill streams. And these fine “glass” rods did just that, and are justly world famous.

A Winston Stalker 6’6″, 2-piece, 2-tip, 2wt Fly Rod

Winston Stalker

There were nine models in the Stalker series, ranging from an 8-foot, 6-inch, 4-weigh, down to the one shown in photo – a 6-foot, 6-inch rod, for a 2 or 3-weight line. They came in red poplin rod sacks, with a handsome green & gold woven emblem. Nice, real nice. I acquired the above rod over the phone from Winston eons ago, with two tips and an upgraded tube with brass cap.  Believe me when I tell you this rod has brought me a great deal of joy over the years.

This Stalker is Montana built. The  e-glass blank is tobacco brown with red wraps, tipped with a few turns of clear. It has a spigot ferrule and a German silver slide-band reel seat. The grip is 6″ and fine. Seven snake guides, and a single carboloy stripper ride the blank. Listed weight is 1.6 ounces. My friend, the rod is a feather in your hand. It casts a fly with just a hint of fly line outside the rod tip. With five feet of fly line out, the rod comes alive, and delivers smoothly and accurately out to twenty-five feet and a bit beyond. It’s a joy to cast. All of this with a 2-weight fly line.

As you might imagine, this Stalker is best with dry flies size 14 on down. BWOs, Tricos, Sulphurs, small caddis, and midges, fit the bill nicely, as do terrestrials flies to match ants, and beetles. While this may sound like a limited range of application, in the right circumstance this Stalker becomes a rare gem. At dusk, when the wind drops, the water turns to glass and the hatch begins, my 6-weight gets put away. (A Winston “glass” rod as well.)  Now in the failing light the Stalker appears to drop dries with the softness of misty rain.

And fear no fine tippet, amigo. Bring on the 7x, hell bring on the 8X. The rod is very forgiving. Rear right back on it. Capable of turning a bluegill into a bluefin, and a fifteen inch trout into a river monster, this tiny rod can also morph a so-so day into a memorable one. Peewees rods are very cool. If you’re interested in learning more about glass fly rods, visit this excellent site www.thefiberglassmanifesto.blogspot.com

(Earlier on Winston produced a less known group of  rods called the R.L. Winston Ultra-Light Fiber Glass Trout Rods. I believe these 5-weight rods were built with similar intent and predate the Stalker Series. You can see more info here.)

PS    Interested in looking at other Winston “Glass” rods? Check out the links below.

Winston Retro Rod, Winston Glass 5wt, Winston Glass 6wt, Winston Glass 8wt,Winston Glass 10-weight, Winston Glass Big Game 12wt