Fly Fishing

Boz · Newbie Joined: Oct 16, 2005 Posts: 65 Location: Portland

Contemplating buying a new Winston BIImx for fishing the salt. I've tried the rod in a few line weights and love the way it handles.

I've never purchased a Winston before and just wondered what kind of experiences people have had with this company's cust service/warranty etc... Good bad or ugly...let me know...

waterwhippa · Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:08 am Post subject: Winston Rods

Boz,

I have the 8' 4 weight (Tom Morgan's Favorite) An absolutley incredible rod, nothing but good things to say about the Boron composition. Can't speak for their customer service....never broke one of their rods.

Boz · Newbie Joined: Oct 16, 2005 Posts: 65 Location: Portland

Whip,

I guess the fact that you've never broke it says alot...as I know you are hard on gear like myself.

Did you ever pick up that fast action 5wt you were looking for? I'd imagine the BIImx 9ft/5 would be a great rod for those long casts to those spooky bank sipping browns on the Dele...

Hunter · Newbie Joined: Dec 06, 2006 Posts: 39

I'd have trouble buying a Winston after watching the fiasco with the bamboo department unfold. I see it as a sign of where management is driving the company- not good. Hopefully their graphite division stays strong, but a lot of the Winston name was derived from the bamboo side of the aisle, and sadly that's not worth what it was before the shop walked.

Boz · Newbie Joined: Oct 16, 2005 Posts: 65 Location: Portland

I realize the Winston name was built on their reputation for bamboo rods. This might be why I never gave their rods much thought in the past, as I have zero interest in bamboo rods.

I don't know much about Winstons company history...However, casting the BIImx showed me that Winston is very much a player in the modern rod market.

I only really look for a rod that performs, and a company who will back the product and replace/or repair it if it breaks.

Hunter, do you think Winston's cust service has changed for the worst?

Hunter · Newbie Joined: Dec 06, 2006 Posts: 39

I can't comment from personal experience on that, but if the same management is in control of customer service as was in control of day to day operations, I suspect it will be in trouble in the future. Just not good planning on their part. I hope that isn't the case, but right now Winston is heading the way Powell and Thomas and Thomas went. Not that any of those are bad rods, but they've lost some market momentum IMO. When you get away from the core that built you you have to expect a bit of market confusion and ultimately, this will likely lead to some redirecting of market share.

NHtrouthunter · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:31 pm Post subject:

Hunter, gunna have to go ahead and not agree with you on this one... Winstons "market share" and "core customers" aside are great rods period.... I have been nothing but blown away with the boron series...

Hunter · Newbie Joined: Dec 06, 2006 Posts: 39

I hear you- I like the boron series a lot as well, but the question wasn't about the rods. We'll see how the company fairs the next 5 or 6 years, but if the current management ideology continues, I expect customer service to suffer.

ChrisR · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:19 pm Post subject:

What exactly is the management change that your mentioning? Winston has always been a top notch rod builder for as long as I have know. I haven't heard anything regarding a new management core that has affected the product. Specifically can you expand on what the issue with the bamboo rods has been?

Thanks,
Chris

ChrisR · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 9:17 pm Post subject:

Nevermind. I found something in a search regarding the issue. A sad situation. However if blame had to be placed somewhere the Winston Companies management probably doesn't deserve the blame. The bamboo rod vs other material rods market does. The boron rods just have a much higher rate of sales. From what I seen on Winston's site they haven't abandoned bamboo altogether. But much like Orvis and LL Bean the bamboo rods take the back burner. I can understand why the tradition will be missed. But from what I've seen I wouldn't be surprised if Orvis and LL Bean sold hardly any bamboo rods anymore. It would probably be much tougher on a company that is much smaller like Winston.

Hunter · Newbie Joined: Dec 06, 2006 Posts: 39

Winston bamboo sales were strong at the time the rift occurred. The management is to blame- they didn't understand that market share and tried forcing people into the bamboo shop rather than letting the bamboo folks run their own show. Within 5 years Winston will be out of that market all together most likely as the folks that would have bought from them have migrated to the Sweetgrass shop. Like I said, the boron rods are nice rods and frankly worth the money IMO, but given the new management philosophy I suspect customer service will slide in the long run.

There are some very fine bamboo tapers out their and that market is on the upswing. Lots of great makers today too. I wouldn't buy bamboo for steelheading, but they are nice in lighter line weights and give a lot more variety in tapers to choose from than graphite for roughly the same money.

Capt.Ahab · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 9:47 pm Post subject:

Boz,
You may be interested to read what some of the members of the Winston forum have to say in comparing the "mx" to the "x", in particular a member by the name of Baetis Hatch has some interesting things to say IMO. Granted, he plays a different salt game in the tropical waters, but then again, casting is casting. I'll post a link below for you.

www.winstonrods.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2327

Boz · Newbie Joined: Oct 16, 2005 Posts: 65 Location: Portland

Ahab,

Thanks for the link...some good feedback there specific the the 12 wt BIImx which I what I'm looking to use for Tarpon/Tuna.

ChrisR · Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 3:23 pm Post subject:

I got the chance to cast the MX in a 10wt today. All I have to say is WOW! Very nice rod. I read the review from Baetis Hatch, but I have to disagree with the guy. I thought I was going to be casting a rod similar to my Sage TCR. Not the case at all IMO. The rod loaded very well and would cast effortlessly short or long. I made the mistake of trying to cast it with the same sharp hauls I use when casting the TCR. It responded much better to a sutle casting stroke without a lot of haul. I couldn't imagine overlining it. It seemed quite the opposite of the description Baetis Hatch gave. Maybe his review is of a different line weight. But the 10 wt you can just wave in the air and the line wants to shoot.