Winston Air 2 9′ 4-weight 5-piece

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   This is my favorite rod in the 5-piece group and one of my favorites in the Air 2 series. By some measure, I prefer it to the 9’ 4-weight 4-piece model. The action and feel of this 5-piece rod are most similar to the rest of the series: light and crisp with a wispy, ticklish feel. With an SA Trout Expert WF4 (or SA Trout Taper, which is the old packaging of the exact same line), it throws long, level loops with light and precise leader turnover. It requires little power from the caster but showcases rapid recovery for an up-tempo cadence and overall fast action feel. It is remarkable that rod designer Hank Haen has created a 5-piece rod that is lighter than the comparable 4-piece model. In fact, each of these 5-piece rods is physically lighter than its counterpart, but only the 4-weight casts and fishes lighter because the mass in the blank is located more in the butt section, improving the balance and allowing it to cast off the tip, as we expect from a “fast action” trout rod.

   I would particularly recommend this rod for dry fly fishing so the angler can enjoy its fine tuning, but it also possesses sufficient power for dry-dropper or light nymph rigs. If you fish it with nymphs all day, however, make sure to cut them off and tie on a dry fly for the final hour.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   The Winston Air 2 5 piece 9’ 4wt is a wonderfully well-tuned fly rod. It is surprisingly light in hand given the extra ferrule connection and casts even lighter than it feels in hand. The rod itself is a beautiful caster that will make any dry fly angler happy. The loop shape is very easy to manipulate and the rod forms a nice tight loop in close almost immediately. The overall sensitivity in the tip will help protect the most delicate of tippet and ensure that you are able to land those larger techy fish. I played around with a few different lines on this rod and it prefers a traditional long-headed dry fly style fly line. Both the SA Amplitude Trout Expert WF4F and Rio Elite Technical Trout WF4F are excellent choices. Of the two, the SA Trout Expert stiffens up the rod just a shade and lands a little softer on the water. The Rio Elite Technical Trout flexes the rod a bit deeper and roll casts a shade better.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)