Winston Pure 7’6″ 3-weight

Reviews

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   Winston did some great work with this little 3-weight, and it is my favorite Winston rod under 8 feet in length. Most graphite rods of this length tend to feel a little too tight to me and don’t feel that great at close range where these rods are designed to fish. The Pure 7’6” 3 weight breaks this mold. This rod flexes evenly and readily with very little line out and forms lovely loops in close. I felt like the action of this rod was appropriately tuned for creek fishing distance. Be honest, do you really need your creek rod to throw 60 feet? This rod can certainly do that with proper technique, but it really likes to fish from up close to about 40 feet. The extreme lightness of the blank and the surprisingly supple action come together to make a rod that is flat out fun to cast and fish. If you’re looking for a creek rod, this might be your stick.

   Richard Post (Telluride Angler)

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   This is a gem. It’s really hard to design a short graphite rod that loads so evenly, smoothly and deeply. This model is the graphite angler’s answer to fiberglass, complete with the benefits of lightness and casting accuracy. I first cast this rod with an SA Trout Taper WF3 and never considered a different line. I’m quite sure it would handle a DT or short headed WF line, such as the Rio Perception or SA VPT, but why not just fish a Trout Taper? The new Rio Technical Trout is also an excellent choice. As sweet as this rod feels in the grass, it’s even better on the water.

   John Duncan (Telluride Angler)

3. Rated 3 out of 5

   Though I am not typically a fan of shorter graphite rods, I think Winston has done a good job at building a shorter rod that has great stability and throws tight little loops. The rod feels very light in hand and is effortless to cast. This rod really comes to life with about 20-40 feet of line out. Naturally as you might expect, it doesn’t perform the best over 50 feet. I wouldn’t bother fishing anything other than an SA Trout taper on it. The gradual taper of the Trout line pairs very well with the medium-slow action of the rod. My only real complaint was with the cork, which feels too bulky. When it comes to smaller rods I prefer a smaller, more graduated grip. This is the right stick for those people out there that prefer a shorter graphite 3wt rod for tossing dries.

   Parker Thompson (Telluride Angler)

4. Rated 5 out of 5

   The added foot in length to this rod made a huge difference! The accuracy was good in close and it was just fun to cast. Very light swing weight with a sweet flex profile. This would be a very nice creek rod. Presenting dry flies with a delicate touch to those sipping trout would be fine with this rod.

   Jason Moshonas (Telluride Angler)