Same, But Different

The 7'6" 3wt is considered by many anglers as the standard model for creek fishing, and has been since ultra-light rods were introduced to fly fishing. There was a time, back in the old days, when you could only find a 7'6" 3wt model in a two-piece configuration. For the most part that is. There were exceptions, like multi-piece pack rods, but not many.

One of Winston's most iconic fly rods is the 7'6" 3wt IM6 model. And, for most of the IM6 production years, it came in both two-piece and three-piece configurations. They both fish the same, with the same taper...but one difference. The three-piece model has an extra ferrule. And, that's just enough to make a very slight difference in the way they cast a line. Yeah, the three-piece feels faintly firmer in the tip section than its sibling, the two-piece rod.

Fishing these Winston IM6 3wt rods on more open waters is a lot of fun. They can cast a line effectively out to 55 feet and easily load the rod for short casts not far from where you stand. It's a natural casting tool that is not in your conscious thought as your fishing a trout stream. The rod feels natural in your hand when you are casting, which comes from a perfect balance between the tip and the butt sections. And, the progressive taper is smooth as can be as it progresses down the rod during the cast. This rod is so intuitive, you can focus on where you want to drop a fly, and the fly magically lands there. Well, there too are some required casting skills of the angler, of course. But, you know what I mean...

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POST NOTE: Don't let that contemporary reel seat on the 3-piece IM6 3wt rod fool you. Ben of Flat Creek rods updated that rod with a new Winston reel seat. No, I did not ruin an old classic rod by doing that. The previous builder installed a non-factory seat on the rod and I asked Ben to install a genuine Winston reel seat on it. If I had an old stock reel seat from 1997 (rod build date) I would have asked Ben to use it, but finding classic hardware from that era is a rare find, indeed. More importantly, that rod fishes like a dream!