Mclean Quiver

Annette McLean provided leadership over operations and rod design during the BIIIx, BIII LS, Pure, and AIR rod era at R.L. Winston Company. She had a fantastic career at Winston and worked for both owners of Winston (Tom Morgan and David Ondaatje) in Twin Bridges. Safe to say, she had hands-on experience with every aspect of rod manufacturing during her tenure.

Now that boron is no longer an ingredient baked into Winston's rod manufacturing process, their boron rods are becoming more interesting for me. I acquired a BIIIx 8'6" 5wt fly rod in 2014 when I was fishing the San Juan River frequently...and other streams known for big trout. That rod was, and still is my all-purpose rod for the Juan and tailwaters in Colorado. It can do it all in view of fly rigging options. I have not fished another rod on the San Juan as versatile and satisfying as my Winston BIIIx 5wt fly rod.

My BIII LS 8' 4wt rod was acquired soon after the BIIIx 5wt for the medium to small streams I enjoy fishing in the Southwest. It is a sensitive rod that can handle both large and small trout with plenty of fun factor. This rod has seen some beautiful mountain landscapes over the years, and has landed more Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout than any other rod I own. It requires a casting technique a bit different from my other Winston rods, and works best with a short, snappy stroke in my hand.

Ann was also involved in the design of the AIR rod series, and I have what is the most coveted model in that line up for my needs. The 7'6" 3wt model is outstanding and I'm lucky to own it. It's the most powerful Winston 3wt rod I own, yet still has that "Winton Feel" I prefer for my fly rods. It often gets rigged up on mountain creeks where larger trout tend to roam.

Yup, these three fly rods have seen a lot of trout streams, and they will continue to do so...