Winston Pure 2 7’9″ 4-weight

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   In Southern Colorado, I would fish a 2 or 3-weight in this rod length, but the Pure 2 7’9” 4-weight will be popular in the Eastern US and everywhere where larger dry flies and dry droppers are fished in tight quarters (heck, Lee Wulff fished a 7’ 6-weight in the Appalachians and Catskills). Beyond 20 feet, this model possesses the same springy, playful characteristics as the rest of the series, but it needs more line head weight to cast short without popping the rod tip. It’s great with an SA Trout Standard, but go with the SA Creek Trout or Rio Elite Creek for casting consistently less than 25 feet. The Pure 2 7’9” 4-weight would be a terrific rod for panfish and small bass in creek environments.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   This may very well be my favorite rod in the Pure 2 lineup. It is a unique length for a 4wt but doesn’t feel out of place at all. This is the perfect rod for someone fishing for larger fish in smaller water. It throws dagger loops for a 4wt but is still very much a presentation-based fly rod. If you need to get your fly in a tight spot with minimal room for a back cast this rod is the perfect tool for the job. It roll casts well in close and is a breeze to sidearm cast. Both techniques are essential when it comes to fishing tighter quarters. I have been lucky enough to play around with a few lines on this rod but my favorite by far is the SA Amplitude Trout Standard WF4F, which loads the rod in close and still holds a nice tight loop on longer casts.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)

3. Rated 5 out of 5

   I lined up the SA Trout first and right away I found the rod had an almost supernatural ability, even an affinity, for turning over a leader. The tip of the rod follows through perfectly and exactly as the rod unloads on the forward cast. I did feel like the SA Trout was a little long and light and required a pretty hard stop to fully engage the rod, but the rod performed very well with a little casting adjustment. The taper is remarkably fine for a sub-8’ graphite rod, no bounce at all, limber but not loose. The Rio Elite Tech Trout brought out the best in the rod and I really enjoyed the combination with more engagement along the blank and a crisp, tight loop springy-ness that was a pure pleasure. It was windy, definitely a poke past breezy, and I felt confident in the wind; not commanding, but this shouldn’t be that kind of stick. The next line I’d like to cast on here is the SA Trout Standard. The head on the Rio Tech Trout is a little longer than you would need with this specialized 4 weight, although the rod handles it exceptionally well. This is a great short 4 weight for pulling a bigger fish out of a small place.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)