If you’re looking for a do-it-all rod, that old 7wt of mine is hard to beat. I’ve punched big streamers from a drift boat with it, and also hooked and landed 20-inch browns on size 20 dries. It’s a 2-piece rod, weighs just barely over 3 ounces, and casts like an absolute dream. I have an old pre-IM6 Trophy Cup Winston 9′ 7wt.
![winston im6 fly rod winston im6 fly rod](https://vintagefishingtackle.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/winston-tarpon-rod.-002.jpg)
Unless, of course, you know what you’re looking for in a 7wt. Sandwiched between the all-purpose trout rod that is the 6wt, and the big-fish stick 8wt, the 7wt seems a bit out of place. The 7wt rod doesn’t get near the love it deserves. Best all-round rod you’ll ever own and it comes with the Winston unconditional lifetime guarantee.As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. I was at Gordy and Sons in Houston on Apand they still had several BIIIX models marked down 30%. If you can still find a new one on sale you should jump on it without hesitation. I understand that with any company making a new model is a business decision, but the BIIIX 9 foot 5 weight is one that should remain in production. It will be very difficult to do any better than the BIIIX 9 foot 5 weight. It’s just a shame that Winston discontinued this all-round rod. The nickel silver reel seat hardware and box elder wood insert make this the most beautiful high volume rods on the market. The cork, while soiled from all the use, is still very smooth, and the shape of the handle is the best on the market allowing for the perfect grip and feel in hand. I take it on every trip with me and use this rod the most.
![winston im6 fly rod winston im6 fly rod](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1136/2872/products/Winston_IM6_590-2__1_600x.png)
The Winston BIIIX has been my go to rod ever since purchasing it in the late spring of 2017. You can feel both the soft tip and the power in the stiff butt section which is woven with boron. It has a great smooth medium-fast action feel. I’ve caught large to small fish and this rod has handled them all with both power and sensitivity. The BIIIX 9 foot 5 weight is delicate enough to cast dry flies, yet powerful enough to cast a hopper with two droppers with ease and accuracy (OK, I admit I’ve cast a hopper with three droppers using this rod…and it cast great). In breezy conditions this rod cuts through the wind. I’ve made long casts on open water for lake trout, midrange casts floating down rivers, and short casts stalking native greenback cutthroats on narrow brush covered alpine creeks. The rod is incredibly versatile and has a broad casting range. The sensitive tip protected the tippet, the mid-section put a really nice bend in the rod, and the solid boron butt section made for a strong backbone. The only rod I used was the Winston BIIIX 9 foot 5 weight and it not only cast up along the bank into the willows with precision, but it was strong enough to lift 20″ fish like a champ. The guide said we would probably never have another trip like that down the Rio Grande. All on dry flies and all of them were good size. My friend and I caught 80 fish in two days. Then I went on a two day float trip down the Rio Grande River in Colorado. The Winston BIIIX 9 foot 5 weight, made in Twin Bridges, MT, turned out to be the epitome of an all-round fly rod.Īfter receiving this rod I took it out to a local bass pond and caught several bass with no problem. You have to get it out on the water to cast it, mend line with it, catch fish with it, etc. It’s hard to get a feel for a fly rod just lawn casting a demo at a fly shop. This time I decided I was going to go with the Winston and man am I glad I did. I cast several rods and really wanted the Winston, but the sales associate that was helping me told me another rod I was using was a better fit for my cast so I purchased that rod and became loyal to that brand for over 20 years. A number of years later I went back to the shop, although it had changed to Bluedrake Outfitters to purchase a fly rod. I wanted one, but I also noticed it was the most expensive rod in the shop. I thought it was the most beautiful rod I had ever seen. It was in the early 90’s at Westbank Angler in Dallas, TX. I remember the first time I saw and held a Winston rod as a young teenage boy.
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My heart kept pulling me back to the Winston BIIIX. I might have cast the best at mid-long range with the Sage X, but I was looking for an all-round rod and wanted something that could make shorter cast well also.
![winston im6 fly rod winston im6 fly rod](https://images.fiberglassflyrodders.com/u/1/pi/mzqLkz3H~PC210577.jpg)
All of these rods cast a little differently. I had narrowed it down to four rods: Scott Radian, Sage X, and Winston BIIIX. When I decided to buy a new 5 weight I started by reading all the 5 weight fly rod reviews I could find the first being the Yellowstone Angler 5-Weight Shootout. After two years of use though, I should be able to give a complete review. By the way, I know this review is way overdue, but better late than never. In the spring of 2017 I began looking for a new 5 weight fly rod.