The Winston Air 2: A Masterpiece of Craftsmanship and Performance

As a seasoned fly angler with a quiver full of rods from various manufacturers, I’ve cast my fair share of lines across rivers, streams, and flats. Yet, no matter how many rods I own, my hand always gravitates toward one: the Winston Air 2. This rod isn’t just a tool; it’s a work of art that blends tradition, innovation, and soulful performance in a way that makes every cast a moment to savor.

A Legacy of Craftsmanship

From the moment you unbox the Winston Air 2, you’re struck by its aesthetic elegance. The iconic Winston green blank, paired with a nickel silver uplocking reel seat and a burled wood insert, exudes a timeless charm that feels as much like a nod to fly fishing’s heritage as it does a leap into the future. The Flor-grade cork grip is comfortable and refined, fitting perfectly in hand, while the lightweight chrome ECO slick-coated shooting guides ensure smooth line flow. Every detail, from the engraved end cap to the premium graphite rod tube, screams quality. This is a rod designed and handcrafted in Twin Bridges, Montana, with a level of care that’s palpable the moment you pick it up.

Casting: Precision Meets Soul

What sets the Winston Air 2 apart is its ability to deliver pinpoint accuracy without sacrificing the soulful feel that Winston rods are known for. Whether I’m delicately laying a size 18 BWO on a spring creek or punching a streamer into a stiff Montana wind, the Air 2 performs with a grace that’s hard to describe. Its fast-action taper, built on Winston’s S-2000 graphite and boron-infused butt section, provides a crisp, responsive feel that generates impressive line speed while maintaining a lightness that makes all-day casting a joy.

The Air 2 shines in its versatility. On technical waters, the 8’6” 4wt and 9’ 5wt models are my go-to choices for walk-and-wade fishing. The 4wt is a dry fly dream, capable of dropping delicate presentations into tight pockets with surgical precision. The 5wt, meanwhile, is the ultimate all-rounder, handling everything from small dries to light nymph rigs and even small streamers with ease. I’ve found that pairing the Air 2 with a true-to-weight line like the Scientific Anglers Amplitude Trout or Rio Technical Trout Elite enhances its finesse, while a slightly heavier line like the Rio Gold unlocks its power for longer casts or heavier flies.

What makes the Air 2 truly special, though, is its feedback. The rod communicates every nuance of the cast, from the load in the backcast to the unfurling of a tight loop. It’s as if the rod becomes an extension of your arm, translating intent into action with uncanny accuracy. I’ve fished it on the Missouri River, delicately presenting dries to rising trout, and on the Blackfoot, slinging streamers with a sink tip. In every scenario, the Air 2 delivers.

Versatility Without Compromise

While Winston is renowned for crafting rods that excel at dry fly fishing, the Air 2 breaks the mold by offering versatility that rivals the best all-purpose trout rods on the market. The 3- and 4-weight models are sublime for small streams and spooky fish, while the 5- and 6-weights have the backbone to handle larger rivers, bigger flies, and even light nymphing or streamer fishing. I’ve thrown everything from Tricos to weighted Woolly Buggers with this rod, and it handles each task with a finesse that makes you forget you’re not fishing a specialized stick.

That said, the Air 2 isn’t a quiver-killer in the sense of replacing every rod in your arsenal. If you’re a dedicated nympher or streamer junkie, you might want a stiffer, faster rod for those specific applications. But for anglers who want a rod that can do it all with a focus on presentation and feel, the Air 2 is hard to beat. It’s the rod I reach for when I’m planning my fishing days, the one I dream about during the long winter months.

A Rod with Soul

Winston’s rod designer, Jeff Evans, once said, “The rod must be fun to fish.” The Air 2 embodies that philosophy. It’s not just about performance; it’s about connection—to the cast, the fish, and the experience of fly fishing itself. The Air 2’s medium-fast action retains the classic Winston feel, a nod to the brand’s legacy of crafting rods that make you feel every moment on the water. Yet, its modern materials and taper design bring a level of power and precision that competes with the best rods from Sage, Scott, or Loomis.

I’ve fished the Air 2 in challenging conditions—low, clear water with educated fish, windy days on big rivers, and tight quarters on small creeks. Each time, it’s delivered casts that land exactly where I want them, with a softness that doesn’t spook fish and a power that tames even the feistiest trout. The lack of swing weight makes it feel like an extension of your will, and the rod’s ability to track straight ensures your loops are tight and your flies land on target.

Final Thoughts

The Winston Air 2 isn’t just another fly rod; it’s a testament to what happens when craftsmanship meets innovation. At a price point north of $1,000, it’s an investment, no doubt. But for anglers who value precision, versatility, and that indescribable Winston feel, it’s worth every penny. It’s the rod I reach for when I want to feel connected to the art of fly fishing, the one that makes every cast a moment of joy.

If you’re in the market for a rod that combines beauty, accuracy, and soul, look no further than the Winston Air 2. It’s not just my go-to rod—it’s the rod that reminds me why I fell in love with fly fishing in the first place.

If this review inspires you to add a Winston Air 2 to your quiver, consider supporting your local fly shop or one of the many trusted online retailers. And as always, tight lines!

Monte Burke’s Rivers Always Reach the Sea: A Masterful Cast into the Soul of Fly Fishing

As someone who’s been hooked on fishing stories since I first cracked open Monte Burke’s Lords of the Fly—a book that’s practically a sacred text for tarpon-chasing dreamers like me—I dove into his latest, Rivers Always Reach the Sea, with sky-high expectations. Let me tell you, Burke doesn’t just meet them; he lands a record-breaker. This collection of 31 angling stories, released in June 2025, is a journey through the heart of fly fishing that’s as much about the human spirit as it is about the fish. If you loved the raw passion and vivid storytelling of Lords of the Fly, this book will feel like the perfect follow-up cast.

A Tapestry of Angling Tales

Rivers Always Reach the Sea is a sprawling yet intimate collection of essays and profiles that takes you from the mangrove-choked Everglades to the windswept tundra of Russia, with stops in Chile’s rainforests and even the gritty waters off New York City. Burke’s quarry—trout, Atlantic salmon, tarpon, bonefish, and striped bass—are the stars, but the real catch here is the “why” of fly fishing. As he did in Lords of the Fly, Burke sidesteps the technical “how-to” manuals and zeroes in on the soul of the sport: the obsession, the camaraderie, the quiet moments where you’re alone with the water and your thoughts. It’s this focus that makes his writing resonate so deeply with anglers and story lovers alike.

Each of the 31 pieces feels like a conversation with an old fishing buddy. Whether he’s profiling legends like Lefty Kreh or Andy Mill—names that carry the weight of fly-fishing royalty—or spinning essays about chasing fish in far-flung corners of the world, Burke’s prose is, as Carl Hiaasen aptly put it, “funny, wistful, and wonderful.” His storytelling has a rhythm that mirrors the flow of a river: steady, reflective, but with sudden bursts of excitement that pull you in like a tarpon’s first leap.

Echoes of Lords of the Fly

For fans of Lords of the Fly, this book feels like a natural extension of Burke’s obsession with the culture and characters of fly fishing. Where Lords zeroed in on the tarpon-fishing frenzy of Homosassa, Florida, with its larger-than-life personalities and tales of records won and lost, Rivers Always Reach the Sea casts a wider net. It’s less about a single place or species and more about the universal pull of the sport. Yet, the DNA is the same: Burke’s knack for weaving history, personality, and the raw thrill of the chase into stories that stick with you long after you’ve closed the book.

Take his profiles, for instance. In Lords of the Fly, Burke brought icons like Stu Apte and Flip Pallot to life, showing their quirks and drives against the backdrop of a tarpon-obsessed subculture. Here, he does it again with figures like Lefty Kreh, whose wisdom and wit shine through, and Andy Mill, whose relentless pursuit of perfection feels like a mirror for every angler who’s ever cursed a missed cast. These aren’t just profiles; they’re love letters to the people who’ve shaped the sport, written with the same reverence and detail that made Lords so unforgettable.

Why This Book Hooks You

What sets Rivers Always Reach the Sea apart is Burke’s ability to make you feel the water. As Kris Millgate wrote, “You can actually see the water, the fish, and the fishers” in his stories. Whether he’s describing the tug of a bonefish in the Florida flats or the solitude of a Russian river, his writing is vivid enough to make you check your boots for mud. For someone like me, who finds as much joy in reading about fishing as actually wading into a stream, this is pure gold.

The book also carries a subtle undercurrent of reflection that hits hard. Burke doesn’t shy away from the bigger questions—why we fish, what we’re chasing beyond the fish, and what it means to find meaning in a sport that’s equal parts patience and madness. It’s a theme that echoes Lords of the Fly, where the pursuit of world-record tarpon was as much about human obsession as it was about the fish. Here, though, the scope feels broader, more mature, like Burke’s taken the lessons from Homosassa and applied them to the whole world of angling.

A Nod to the Craft

Burke’s writing is often compared to literary heavyweights like Thomas McGuane, and for good reason. His prose is clean yet evocative, detailed yet never overwrought. As Wright Thompson puts it, “Monte Burke has written a masterpiece.” I’d argue this collection cements him as one of the finest voices in angling literature today. If Lords of the Fly was Burke proving he could tell a gripping, singular story, Rivers Always Reach the Sea shows he can weave a tapestry of them, each one distinct yet part of a larger, beautiful whole.

For Anglers and Dreamers Alike

If you’re a fan of Lords of the Fly like I am, this book will feel like coming home to a favorite fishing spot. If you’re new to Burke’s work, it’s a perfect introduction to his gift for turning angling into something universal. You don’t need to be a fly fisher to love these stories—though if you are, you’ll be itching to grab your rod by the end. Rivers Always Reach the Sea is for anyone who’s ever been drawn to the pull of a river, the thrill of a fight, or the quiet moments where the world makes sense.

Pick it up, and let Monte Burke take you on a journey. You won’t want it to end.

Sources: Simon & Schuster, Amazon, Angling Trade

Simms Pursuit Shoe: Your Warm-Water Wading Companion

As the summer sun heats up the rivers, wet wading season is in full swing, and the Simms Pursuit Shoe is here to elevate your fly fishing adventures. Whether you're stalking bonefish on tropical flats or drifting down a warm-water river in a drift boat, this versatile shoe proves itself a game-changer for anglers seeking comfort, grip, and durability.

Designed with a quick-drying, ultra-breathable mesh upper and a stretch collar, the Pursuit Shoe keeps your feet cool and debris-free during long days on the water. Its non-marking, micro-siped rubber outsole delivers exceptional traction, gripping slick river rocks and drift boat decks with equal confidence. I put these shoes through their paces on a recent trip, wading through rocky shallows and hopping in and out of the boat, and they never faltered—drying fast and keeping my footing secure.

The quick-lacing system is a standout, offering a snug fit without loose ends to snag your fly line, a small but critical detail for any serious angler. At 24 oz. per pair (size 11), they’re lightweight enough for all-day wear, whether you’re trekking to a remote stream or casting from the bow. While they lack ankle support, which might be a consideration for those with weaker joints, their low-profile design feels like a natural extension of your foot, perfect for agile pursuits on varied terrain.

From warm-water rivers to saltwater flats, the Simms Pursuit Shoe is a reliable, do-it-all option for the active angler. If you’re looking for footwear that transitions seamlessly from wading to boating, this is your go-to. Grab a pair and make the most of those summer fishing days!