Winston has been building bamboo since 1929, when Robert Winther and Lew Stoner began experimenting with the material and patented the hollow-fluting process the shop still uses today. In Winston's words: the craftsmanship is legendary. Bamboo is part of Winston's DNA. These are built by hand in Twin Bridges, Montana.
Read this first: a Winston bamboo rod is built to order. This is not a rod that ships from a shelf. You choose the taper, the length, the number of sections, the grip, and the reel seat insert, and the shop builds it. Availability and build time vary through the year, and Winston does not publish a lead time — they ask that you call.
So call us: 970-964-9991. We will get current build times from Winston, walk you through the choices, and place the order properly. Ordering a bamboo rod through a form on a website is the wrong way to buy one, and we would rather have the conversation.
What you choose
| Line weight | Lengths | Sections |
|---|---|---|
| 3 wt | 6'0", 6'6", 7'0", 7'6" | 2 or 3 piece |
| 4 wt | 6'6", 7'0", 7'6", 8'0" | 2 or 3 piece |
| 5 wt | 7'¾", 8'0", 8'6" | 2 or 3 piece |
| 6 wt | 8'0", 8'6", 9'0" | 2 or 3 piece |
- Grip: 6½" cigar or full wells
- Reel seat: nickel silver, with your choice of burled Box Elder or Spalted Alder insert
- Inscription: available through Winston's service program — two lines, eighteen characters each
How it is built
- Six hexagonal strips, hollow-fluted by the process Winston patented
- Two tips included with every rod
- Agate stripper guide; titanium-plated snake guides
- Slow action — capable of very delicate, very precise presentations
- Powder-coated aluminum tube and a thick cloth logo rod sock
- Every section hand-inscribed with series, length, line weight, and serial number
Which taper? This is the conversation worth having. A 7'0" 4 weight is the classic small-stream and spring-creek rod. An 8'0" 5 weight is the do-everything choice if you will own one bamboo rod. The 8'6" and 9'0" 6 weights handle bigger water and wind, which bamboo is not usually asked to do. Two-piece rods have a slightly sweeter action; three-piece rods travel. Tell us where you fish and we will tell you honestly what we would order.
Warranty: Winston covers bamboo against manufacturer's defects for the life of the rod — and unlike their graphite warranty, the bamboo warranty is transferable. That matters for a rod that will outlive its first owner. Repairs are handled per section at the Twin Bridges shop.
We are a Winston dealer, we have handled these rods, and we are ten minutes from good water if you want to cast one. Ed's Fly Shop, 432 E Main St, downtown Montrose, Colorado.
