Winston WT 9' 6wt Fly Rod

The Winston IM6/WT rod series has some models that are considered 'most desirable' by fly fishers who know the brand: the 6'6" and 7' 2wt, 3wt, 4wt rods; the 7'6" 3wt; the 8' 3wt, 4wt rods; the TMF 8' 4wt; the 8'6" 5wt; and the 9' 6wt rod. Now, having said that, there are other IM6/WT models that are amazing rods to fish for trout as well. As an example, my 8' 2wt rod. However, those desirable models are considered the 'sweet spot' of the series by those who have fished them.

So, let's talk about the 9' 6wt rod. It is an all-around rod that can handle almost every trout fishing situation, from dry flies to double nymph indicator rigs. It's perfect for fishing the tail waters and handling the big trout that swim there. Where do I fish this rod? Well, mostly up on the well known San Juan River. I like the rod's strength for that river and how easily it handles the big, heavy trout that live there. And, it is sensitive enough to protect a fine tippet to get one of those big lunkers into the net.

Some Winston fans say this 6wt rod is more like a 5.5wt rod and I can see that. It certainly prefers a true-to-weight fly line. I pair the rod with a classic Bauer MZ3 reel and an Orvis Gen3 Wonderline WF6F fly line. This combination works so good that I haven't even considered a different reel/line for the rod.

As I write this post, I'm beginning to get in the mood for some fishing time on the San Juan. Yeah, I need to start paying attention to the water flows and temperatures up under the Navajo Dam. I've had enough time away from the Juan that I should be able to look past the annoying things I dislike about fishing there...one of which is the crowds.

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