Winston's Elder
Winston wasn't the first to build reel seats with elder wood spacers. However, the elder reel seat is a factor with Winston rods becoming the classics as they are now. I appreciate the unique grain patterns of each elder spacer, which contribute to the distinct aesthetic with each rod build. They are currently found with up-locking reel seats, and are still part of Winston's current AIR2 and Pure2 trout rod series. While I prefer sliding band seats for light trout rods, the up-locking reel seats offer perceived advantages for some fly fishers. Most importantly, they provide enhanced security by keeping the reel firmly in place, ensuring that anglers can focus on fishing without worrying about the reel slipping. Elder makes for a truly beautiful reel seat, and is usually a good clue that an angler is fishing with a Winston fly rod. Can you imagine how stunning the current Winston fly rods would be if they had a down-locking reel seat with an elder spacer? It likely will never ha...
