Winston Air 2 9′ 6-weight

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   Winston showed great discipline is designing this model, prototyping and field testing relentlessly until they had a rod with the power and command to meet all the demands of a cutting edge 6-weight but also the lightness and feedback to belong in the Air 2 Series. Like the 5-weight, the Air 2 9’ 6-weight will fish a wide variety of fly lines, from an SA Infinity Taper to a Rio Technical Trout, Gold or Big Nasty.

   Casting this rod with a range of lines, I can distinctly feel the different rod sections performing their intended tasks. The top half of the rod throws tight loops with high line speed at 20-40 feet, unusual for a power-oriented 6-weight. When adding power to the stroke at longer distances, I feel the butt section tighten and kick back with authority. It’s stable, accurate and easy to cast with heavy line heads, nymph/indicator rigs and streamers. It has a sensitive tip for precision angling but plenty of spine for lifting a long line or dragging a sink tip to the surface. In the past, some Winston 6-weights have lacked the bottom end to overcome challenging conditions, like high wind or the necessity to hold up a long backcast while wading deep. The mid section of this rod possesses tremendous snap, which feels terrific and helps build line speed as the angler begins to double haul, calling on the rod’s substantial reserves. The Air 2 9’ 6-weight is like a horse that knows how to finish a race.

   On the water, the Air 2 9’ 6-weight is equally well suited to nymphing, dry fly fishing and streamers. It is designed to fish, not just cast. Line mending, roll casting and loop control all come naturally. The rod is capable of blazing line speed, but still allows its master to manipulate its capabilities on the water. This is a wonderful fishing tool.

   For general purposes, my favorite line on the Air 2 9’ 6-weight is the SA Amplitude Infinity WF6F.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   Cut from the same cloth as the 9-foot 5-weight, the Air 2 906 is a wonderful 9-foot 6-weight with surprising power and touch. The rod feels like it is appropriately tailored to the 6-weight line. I felt like the 6-weight was a touch quicker and slightly stiffer along the blank compared to the 5-weight, and I like the increase in power and tempo. I want my 6-weights to basically step into the role of my 5-weight when one of a couple of things happen: the wind really starts to blow and/or when my fly size increases. I appreciate the way a 6-weight line pushes a big terrestrial into the wind and handles the weight of a streamer or nymph rig. A bonus is a 6-weight with enough finesse to fish a small dry fly well and I believe you have all of these in the Air 2 906. Think of this rod as a very level and complete embodiment of the 6-weight line, fast and powerful enough for streamer fishing, working a nymph rig and turning over a salmonfly, while having enough touch to fish to selective risers in the wind at distance.

   The rod handles a more powerful casting stroke and possesses the stability along its length to create a very accurate and intuitive fly cast. The Air 2 906 has plenty of that Winston essence built into the blank and could not be a better compliment to the Air 2 905. The 906 will handle your streamer fishing and smoother tapered sinking lines like the Rio Big Nasty WF6F/H/I are excellent pairings. The Scientific Anglers Infinity taper is my choice for a floating line and it does a wonderful job of matching the rod’s speed and accentuating the smoothness and stability of the blank. The Air 2 906 is a finely tuned 6-weight that is capable of covering a wide range of trout fishing scenarios while providing excellent feedback and casting intuition to the angler.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)