Winston WT 7' 4wt Fly Rod

I found this Winston WT rod on an auction and it immediately caused me to be so curious, I felt compelled to purchase it. For you see, I have never seen a WT model in this two-piece 7ft 4wt configuration before.

The rod is a factory custom order with half wells handle, down locking reel seat, and is in mint condition. It had been living in the UK for several years and I am happy to be able to bring the rod back home to the Rocky Mountain streams I love.

UPDATE: Not long after receiving the WT rod, I contacted Winston and they said the build date for this rod was January 9, 2001. I checked all the catalog years for the WT series and this rod model was never listed in any of them. Which was very puzzling.

UPDATE (1/23/2023): I Just learned from an angler that a guide named Bo Cash, who was once a Winston dealer in North Carolina had requested Winston to make available 6'6" and 7" 4wt rods. This was back in the early nineties around 1992. He didn't like to fish light line rods (2-3wt) in his tight brush lined creeks because he used weighted nymphs and streamers, but needed a short rod for those creeks. He thought a short rod with a heavier line threw tighter loops and found it helpful in those canopied creeks.

So, another piece of the puzzle with this rod is answered...Winston in 2001 had a custom order from a customer for this model, and they simply pulled out an old stock IM6 blank that was rolled in 1997 or earlier. This rod could very well be one of those coveted Loomis sourced IM6 blanks that Winston used in the early production years for their IM6 rods. What I know for sure is, it's a blast to fish.