My Top 5

September 30, 2025

My Top 5

I'm fortunate to have some iconic fly rods when fishing my trout streams in the southern rockies region. And, there are rods I consider in my top five rod list, for various reasons. Readers will see this top five post occasionally on the dryflynm blog with slight variations. And, that's okay because it's not a national security issue, or anything close to that...it's just fly fishing.

Winston IM6 6'6" 2wt - a Morgan-era classic that is exciting to cast and handle trout on little mountain creeks. I consider this rod my most important and special fly rod because it's somewhat rare...due to the fact there aren't that many fly fishers interested in short, light graphite rods like this model. So, surely there aren't that many of them around in this minty condition. This is the most special rod I own, because of its performance and pedigree. An angler can't have more fun in a little creek, casting to the Leetle Fellers than what they can experience with this rod.

Winston WT 7' 2wt - another genius taper design with just the right firmness to be perfect for guys like me who love fishing creeks in the high country. I have no idea how anyone could design a 7' 2wt model that would perform any better than this one? This may be the 2wt rod for all time. Tie on a #14 dry fly and shoot it into any nook and cranny you think is hiding a wild trout. It fits naturally with my casting stroke, and this rod allows me to romance the stream with smooth casts, and natural drifts...with a dry fly. The tip helps to manage an angry trout into the net, and is magical as far as I'm concerned. Yup, this rod sits firmly into my top-five list of fly rods. Just a reminder. This rod landed a trout over eighteen inches last April for my personal best Gila trout ever, so don’t underestimate its 2wt line classification.

Winston IM6 7'6" 3wt - there is something about this rod, and its action (1997 blank), that sets it apart from others, even when compared to other IM6 376 models from Winston. It's a three piece and it is pretty much perfect for trout environments requiring this length and line weight. The rod fishes like a boss, yet is sensitive enough to better manage trout into the bottom of my net. I can't remember when I lost a trout in a tight-line fight while fishing this rod, and that is one big reason why it is rigged up often. This rod has strength and touch unlike any other 3wt rod I've fished...my best 3wt fly rod without question!

Winston WT TMF 8' 4wt - For years, I dreamed of having a new Winston TMF with a down locking reel seat. Unfortunately, I waited too long and purchased the rod after Winston stopped taking orders for optional reel seats. When I special ordered my TMF fly rod three years ago, Flat Creek Rods upgraded the rod with genuine Winston hardware, and a maple spacer, to create a brand new TMF fly rod with a down lock reel seat. Tom Morgan's Favorite (TMF) is a dry fly dream rod for thousands of Winston fans. The rod is special and fishes exactly how a rod should perform on a trout stream. This is my absolute favorite dry fly rod.

Winston WT 8'6" 5wt - This is a medium to big stream rod with the aesthetic, performance, and versatility I prefer on larger rivers. It casts a dry fly so smoothly, and safely brings large trout to the net easily and safely. I don't fish big rivers much anymore, but when I do, this rod makes it a special fishing experience. My 8'6" 5wt WT is from the Legacy production series in 2019 that celebrated Winston's 90th anniversary. This is a great rod and I love drifting bigger dry flies with it in some of our beautiful rivers in both New Mexico and Colorado.