Winston’s Air 2 fly rod might be the best the company’s ever built, which is saying something with their pedigree of fantastic trout sticks. The Air 2 is a great blend of power, finesse, control, and just plain fun. So, when they announced a 5-piece version of this flagship, I was surprised and anxious. Winston’s previous 5-piece rods, the LT series, were good. They still sell for a decent price on the used market, but they’re not as beloved as two-piece IM6 rods, or even some B3x models.
New Gear
Winston Air 2 5-Piece
Key Features:
- Crisp dry fly action
- Packs into 24.5-inch rod tube
- Classic Winston look and feel
Pros:
- Excellent with dries and smaller dry-dropper rigs
- Smooth casting at every distance
- Made in the USA
Cons:
- Price
Winston was kind enough to send me a 5-weight to review. They also make a 5-piece Air 2 in 4 and 6-weight, both of which are 9 feet long. In keeping with the Air 2 lineup, the 5-piece 5-weight is fast, but it packs plenty of feel so that the rod doesn’t feel overtly quick. It has a crisp, dry fly action that’s perfect for tossing size 20 tricos or size 12 hoppers. It roll casts beautifully, feels wonderfully smooth at every distance, and has that “fun” factor that’s tough to describe, but absent from far too many rods these days.
Winston has it priced at $1,295. That’s a serious chunk of change, but Winston has always charged top dollar. It’s just a shame this rod is likely out of reach for a lot of anglers, because it’s one I think everybody should try at least once.
What I Like
Doesn’t Feel Like A 5-piece
I’ve fished—and enjoyed—Winston’s LT rods, their latest iteration of 5-piece sticks. Those rods aren’t anything to crow about, but they definitely felt like a 5-piece rod. The Air 2 5-piece feels almost smoother than its 4-piece counterpart. It’s certainly a bit slower, which I prefer, and I reckon many Winston aficionados will, too.
I even read somewhere that the 5-piece Air 2 is lighter than its 4-piece version. I don’t know if that’s true, since Winston doesn’t publish rod weights anymore, but if anything, that’s a testament to Winston’s ability to craft and build something that doesn’t feel like a travel-sized rod.
I was so impressed with the rod that I called Hank Haen, Winston’s rod designer, and asked if he’d sold his soul for the secret to the perfect 5-piece rod. It’s honestly that impressive. In fact, I’m cooking up a few excuses I can give when Winston asks for this review sample back, because this isn’t a rod I want to part with. Think they’d believe that I lost it?
Smooth and Responsive
I fished this rod extensively, both on tailwaters and smaller freestones. At regular trout fishing distances (15-60 feet), it’s smooth as silk. It packs all the feedback you could want, so you can dial in your casting stroke to match the rod. I paired this with a Ross Animas reel and Scientific Anglers Amplitude Infinity line.
The only time this rod felt a bit under-gunned was with a larger nymph rig, which isn’t out of the ordinary for most 5-weights. I never tossed streamers with it, but I’d imagine it’d handle size 10 and 12 woolly buggers without too much trouble. If I’m throwing streamers, though, I’m grabbing at least a 6-weight.
The Ideal Dry Fly 5-Weight
Since the 5-piece Air 2 is a tad slower than the 4-piece, I think it’s a slightly better dry fly rod. Both versions are great, mind you, but if I had to pick just one 5-weight to fish dries with, I’d opt for the 5-piece. I keep bringing up how smooth it is, but that’s probably the best way to describe it. This rod doesn’t ask a lot from you as a caster. That’s not to say it casts itself, but if you enjoy tossing dries on longer leaders, this rod’s combination of power and finesse is hard to beat.
Plenty Of Power
Even with a 13-foot leader, a size 14 March Brown, and a size 18 mayfly nymph, the 5-piece Air 2 turned the rig over. When hooking into decent trout, I never felt like I might get pulled around the water. I kept feisty browns away from snags and rocks, and quickly got them to the net.
Again, this wouldn’t be my pick if I needed to nymph a size 8 Zirdle Bug all day (I’d opt for a 6-weight in that case), but for medium-sized nymphing work, this rod will do the job wonderfully.
Build Quality
Winston and Thomas & Thomas build the prettiest production rods on the market. I’m partial to Winston, but I can’t objectively put one above the other when it comes to aesthetics. Something about Winston’s green blank, though, just catches the sunlight in ways other rods don’t.
The cork, reel seat, hardware, and guides are all what you’d expect from an expensive rod. Winston’s cork is consistently among the best on the market, as well, and their grip shape feels great in my hands.
You do get a lifetime warranty with the Air 2. I’ve had some warranty work done on a few other Winstons lately, and their repair department has been a blast to work with every time.
What I Don’t Like
Price
Winston has always charged a premium for its products, and deservedly so, in my opinion. They make some of the finest rods on the planet. Even so, $1,295 for a 5-weight is a lot of money. Plenty of anglers will be priced out of this rod, which is a shame, because it’s so much fun to fish.
If you want a 5-weight you’ll use forever, and love every minute of casting, then the Air 2 5-piece should at least get some consideration, even if you’ve got to pack some cash away for a while to afford it.
Final Word
Winston outdid themselves with the Air 2 5-piece. It’s light, responsive, roll casts like a dream, and feels even a bit smoother than the 4-piece Air 2. It’s everything I want a 5-weight to be, complete with a relaxed action, a crisp finish on the cast, and the best build quality this side of the Mississippi. In fact, I might go so far as saying I like this rod more than my 9′ 5-weight B3x.
I’ve long been a Winston fan, and I own a dozen of their rods. They’ve never paid me for a review, obviously, and some of their rods over the years didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Winston has also never sent me a review model to keep (some rod companies prefer you to keep and fish the rods they send for reviews). I’ve paid for all but one of my Winstons, an 8′ 5-weight IM6 that was a gift from my wife, who was my fiancée at the time.
The point is that, while I love Winston rods, I’m objective about them, too. I know they’re usually not for everyone. The Air 2 5-piece is an exception to that, though. I think it’s so smooth, so fun to fish, so light and lively, that any trout angler would have a blast with it.