Winston 8' 4wt Rivals

There will be some competition this year between two rods. And, I'm not sure if there will actually be a winner, but I already know both rods are exceptional fishing models. I'm talking about two 8' 4wt Winston rods...the standard IM6 two-piece model, and a WT TMF two-piece model. About 30 years separate these two iconic rods.

From everything I've read in old Winston catalogs and interviews with Tom Morgan, the TMF has the same butt section as the standard 8' 4wt model, but with a different tip section. So, with that in mind, I was expecting the standard IM6 8' 4wt rod to be stronger than my TMF.

A few days ago, I took these two 8' 4wt rods to the neighborhood park to cast them side by side. To be honest, I was expecting more of a distinct difference between the two rods. After a few casts with each, I realized just how similar they are in action, and casting performance. Hmmm, that Winston feel. Despite having been built 30 years apart, different models, and the TMF being touted as a more sensitive rod through the years...I found very little difference between the two. Yeah, I was surprised. At 30' and less, the rods felt almost the same with just a bit more flex in the tip section of the TMF. When I stretched out the cast to 40', I could sense the standard 8' 4wt rod flexing lower into the butt section as compared to the TMF...probably due to it having a bit firmer tip section.

A better test would be to cast these two models from the same IM6 rod series. That's a test for someone else to perform...I'm going to stick with these two rods and be happy. They are both impressive light trout rods!

POST NOTE: After thinking about this post, the most impressive thing about these two rods built 30 years apart is the action and feel are the same, and they are distinctly Winston. The company's commitment to the 'Winston Feel' through all these years is amazing and appreciated by those who prefer fishing these fine rods!

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