R.L. Winston Rod Co.

"Worlds best fly rods. People are friendly and knowledgeable about their rods and Bauer reels. Museum, gift shop, and tours available."

"I love my Winston LT purchased back in 2003. BUT - my recent repair service was a complete disappointment. I broke the tip and sent it in to be replaced. The tip section i received back had a misaligned guide ( very slightly) but noticeable. Which was not really a cause for return, but the Tip Guide was "WAY" out of alignment. I sent the rod back to be re-repaired. What i received back (17 days later) was the same tip section with the same slightly misaligned guide with a straight Tip Guide. It appeared to me that, the Tip Guide and top Guide were too close. So , i measured the rod. Turned out my 8'9 rod measured 8'8. I sent an e-mail voicing my disapproval and that i thought the Tip was just cut off and replaced. I was told the tip was not "cut off" and replaced, but the facts speak otherwise. Maybe the initial repair was short and i didn't notice because i was paying attention to the misaligned guides. " It's possible" but the facts speak otherwise. I was contacted by a Winston representative with concerns and offered to check into it if i sent the rod back. i appreciated the concern but was not in the mood to send it back a third time. Maybe I'm an exception to the rule, but it would leave me with a sharp sense of hesitance in purchasing a New Winston rod. PS. The reviews of the Sage repair services that I have read were all Outstanding and that Sage went beyond what was required of their service agreement."

"My experience with RL Winston has always been exceptional. My latest contact with the company was due to a broken tip on an older rod that had been discontinued. They went above and beyond my expectations with their choice of a replacement rod to honor the lifetime warranty. The whole process was pleasant, efficient and truly wonderful plus I now have another beautiful Winston rod. This is a great company!"

"Be sure to take the tour that Winston gives every day during the summer. It is very informative and they have many of their fly rods available to cast. A wonderful place to spend a few hours if you are a Winston junkie like me."

"I own a 5 wt rod that I've used all over the U.S. From the Beaverkill to Hat Creek. I've caught little tiny fish to a real monster on the Smith River in Northern California. It's incredibly responsive and the feel is unlike anything I've ever used. I was fishing in Yellowstone and caught something a little too big for the rod and it snapped the tip. Since I was so close to Twin Bridges, Montana, I figured I would stop by to see if they could fix it. They did more than just fix it. They replaced the tip with a brand new in and fixed the broken tip while I was there! They gave me directions to a great spot and I promptly caught four beautiful rainbows! I would recommend R.L. Winston rods for just about any application you could think of. It's a great company with incredible employees. In my view, the best money I've ever spent! Check out the Winston Perfect Reel for a match to your rod. WOW!!!"