When Winston introduced the Boron IIx, the rod was an instant hit among many anglers who heralded the rod as one of the best ever made. The combination of Boron and graphite allowed the BIIx to be stronger and lighter than any other rod on the market. It is hard to believe that Winston could develop a rod that is better then the BIIx but they have done it. The BIIIx is the new sports car of fly rods with improved feel and sensitivity and an even lighter shaft made with that classic Winston feel.

The BIIIx line up offers a rod for every conceivable fishing situation from small creek trout fishing to chasing the largest beasts in the deep blue. Each rod has a fine tuned taper to match the type of fishing the rod is intended for. The lighter rods have a nice deep bend to delicately deliver nymphs and dries in tight areas while the heavier rods have a stout butt and fast recovering tip to punch big bugs into the wind and have the pulling power to put pressure on big fish.

I had the opportunity to take the 9’0” 5wt out for a couple days of fishing to test and compare it to the original BIIx. The BIIIx is not noticeably lighter in hand than its predecessor but is outfitted with same top of the line components you expect with a Winston rod. The first stand out feature was a fast recovering tip that really let me juice the line on longer casts but was not so fast that you couldn’t make short accurate casts. In fact the rods range was impressive easily casting long, medium and short distances. The overall action of the rod is faster but without losing that wonderful smoothness only found with Winston rods. The crisp action allows for very accurate casts which when it comes to the trout game, especially on the Deschutes, means more fish. In addition, the increased power of the rod is particularly noticeable on those windy days either on the river or on the lakes.

The BIIIx is undoubtedly one of the best rods available and takes the original BIIx to the next level of fishing performance. If you are looking for a versatile rod that holds its own in just about every situation then you should consider trying the BIIIx out. We have the full line up, if you are in Maupin stop by.

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Winston BIIIx

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