RL Winston - IM6 Light Trout Rods

The R. L. Winston Company has an amazing history in the fly rod industry. And yeah, Tom Morgan is the person I admire most when it comes to fly rod design and rod building. His designs just fit my style of fly fishing on streams throughout New Mexico.

One of the reasons Tom became a legendary leader in fly rod design was his hands-on experience with building bamboo, glass, and graphite rods. And, his years of fishing and guiding clients in Blue Ribbon trout streams was another critical key to all he achieved. It is his work on Winston's IM6 Light Trout Rod models that I have learned to appreciate and enjoy the most from of all his innovative rods. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the WT rod series just as much (IM6 name changed to WT in 2001). However, there is something special about fishing a rod that was built during a time when Tom Morgan was working at Winston. I'd like to think he may have given one of my rods a waggle there in the Twin Bridges rod shop. Well, it's possible. Yes?

Rod Specifications: Two-piece, one tip, German silver hood and sliding-band seat with either cork or wood spacer, and ceramic stripping guide. The small screw-locking seat is also available. The 2-weight rods come only with cigar grips, 3 and 4-weight thru 8 foot are stocked only with cigar grips with half-wells being a special order. All rods come with cloth bag and screw-top aluminum case.

I have three factory built IM6 Light Trout rods in 662, 763, and 804 models. And, to this day, after thirty plus years, since Winston built these fine rods, they are still perfect for fishing those 'blue lines' throughout my Rocky Mountain high country.

• IM6 6'6" 2wt (2pc)
• IM6 7'6" 3wt (2pc)
• IM6 8'0" 4wt (2pc)

With the newly designed Winston IM6 rod series coming to reality in 1988, Tom used the term 'Light Trout Rods' for those IM6 models in the 2wt through 4wt range, in a variety of rod lengths. For some reason, that term was last used in their 1995 catalog. 

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