Winston Air 2 Max 9′ 12-weight

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   Outstanding. This rod loads into the mid-section for mid-length shots without feeling unstable, a hard combination to achieve. At distance, the butt section engages for excellent line speed with superb accuracy/stability. I generally hate 12-weights, but this is a really nice one. When picking a long line off the water, this rod matches most others in its class (Loomis NRX+, Sage Salt R8, Scott Sector), but the Loomis Asquith still clearly wins in this performance category. We tested the Air 2 Max with the Hatch 12-weight line because it is obnoxiously stiff and heavy. The SA Tarpon will be ideal.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   12wt rods in general are becoming less and less popular given the range and power of modern 11wt rods. The 9’ 12wt AIR 2 MAX is a rod that deserves some attention. It isn’t nearly as stiff and soulless as a lot of other 12wt rods on the market. Just like all of the rods in the AIR 2 MAX lineup the 12 has great feel in close and forms a nice loop almost immediately. This rod doesn’t have the air-like feeling that the 12wt Asquith does or the raw power of a rod like the NRX+ but it’s a 12wt that is easy to cast and can handle a wide range of fishing situations. I’ve thrown a few lines on this rod and found the SA Amplitude Tarpon WF12F to be my favorite. If you get this rod as a dedicated GT stick consider going down to an 11wt GT line. These lines tend to be overly heavy and the 11wt version will work well and won’t slow the rod down as much as a 12wt line will.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)