Winston - BIII LS 8' 4wt

A BIII LS 8' 4wt is the only rod of this Winston series I own and fish. I made a mistake and pulled it off the rod rack at The Reel Life Fly Shop in Santa Fe back in 2014. You know how it goes. Once you touch something shiny and new, you got to have it.

I fish this rod on a couple little streams where they zig zag through valley floors up high in thin air. It's a great rod for those streams, with the length and line weight being pretty much perfect. Is it my favorite rod series among Winston's generations of rod series? Nope. Actually, it's my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, it's a great rod...it's just that I like another Winston taper better.

The tip of this rod is softer than any Winston rod I own. The butt of the rod is strong and I can feel the flex mostly in the tip section of the rod. It's an action that takes a learning curve to cast in an optimum way with the rod, but once you learn the technique, it's a sweetheart. The casting stroke with this rod is short, starting at the 10 o'clock position and stopping just at my head's temple...yup, a quick and short snap is all you need.

I'll continue to pack the rod for fishing trips, but it will probably get less time on the water this year. I have a vintage rod that has my attention at the moment...so, you probably know how that tends to work out.