Winston Pure 2 9′ 6-weight

Reviews

1. Rated 4 out of 5

   The Pure 2 9′ 6-weight is a beautifully tuned dry fly rod for the angler who casts with a relaxed stroke. Unlike old-time Winstons, this rod flexes very evenly, or “progressively” in the parlance of fly rod geeks like us. This is a fine quality in a dry fly rod because the rod casts consistently throughout a wide range of distances with similar feel and rhythm. It is best with a true-to-weight fly line such as the Scientific Anglers Trout Expert WF6 or Rio Technical Trout WF6, both of which are designed for dry fly presentations. Could this rod handle a nymphing rig or streamer? Sure, but such a lovely dry fly rod quickly loses its shine when fishing rigs that compromise its resonance with the fly line. It’s a dry fly rod.

   Not every angler has a purpose for a 6-weight of this character, but if you do, you know who you are. Some medium-action 6-weights are designed for roll casting nymphs, but at first cast you’ll notice the lightness throughout this rod’s blank with incredibly low swing weight and feather touch on the presentation. This makes me want to throw single dry flies all day long. This is a rod for the Missouri, Silver Creek, Snake, Green or Gunnison…on a calm day.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   I was absolutely amazed when I first cast this fly rod. The other two 9 footers in the Pure 2 lineup are great casters but they are a shade slow for my taste. The 9′ 6wt is by no means a fast action rod, but I didn’t notice as much bounce as I had anticipated. This has to be one of the smoothest 6wt rods on the market and it is a 6wt for anglers that love the art of the fly cast. If you like to feel the rod load and appreciate a lot of feedback from your fly rod, this is a great choice for you. Application wise, this is a dry fly rod for the dry fly fanatic, plain and simple. This is not a rod that you’re going to nymph with, but if you like chasing large technical trout with long leaders, this is the right tool for the job. It will mend and roll cast wonderfully and leaves the angler with a never-ending grin. You’re going to want to pay attention when it comes to a line pairing. Stay away from heavy headed lines and really short headed lines. Instead, consider something like the Rio Elite Technical Trout WF6F, or SA Amplitude Trout Expert WF6F. I also threw the Rio Elite Gold WF6F and was very impressed with how the rod handled it. This line slows the rod down but doesn’t create too much bounce in the tip.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)