Winston PURE 2 8-foot 3-inch 4-weight Fly Rod

A fly rod with finesse for dedicated dry fly and spring creek purists.

Kirk Deeter

October 17, 2024

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Winston | PURE 2 8-foot 3-inch 4-weight Fly Rod

product description

“The new PURE 2 series of fly rods are made to excel in the world’s legendary dry fly fisheries and in the most challenging technical trout applications. Utilizing new NanoParticle materials, these rods are smooth, delicate and lively.” – R.L. Winston

company ethos

“For ninety-five years, we have obsessed over trout rising to dry flies, once-in-a-lifetime shots at permit, and harnessing the power of tarpon, GT, steelhead and anything else that will crush a fly. With these obsessions in mind, we utilize the newest aerospace materials, incredibly light tapers, and the unbelievably responsive AIR 2 technology, to help anglers make precision presentations in freshwater, saltwater, and warmwater fisheries across the world.” – R.L. Winston

Buy Now

Winston has gotten away from using boron in its fly rods, and now is using a “NanoParticle” graphite technology, which tends to be marketing double-speak that allows the company to sidestep explaining what’s really happening in their rod production process. They do say the new technology “forms a ‘double-bond’ to the resin and graphite to increase stress distribution by up to 30%, increases a rod’s strength by 24% as compared to standard resins and provides thinner blank walls to transmit more feel…”

Winston has been historically tip-lipped about rod design through many iterations of company management, but what I can tell you is that this means the newer generation fly rods are lighter, slightly smaller in diameter, with better tracking and quicker recovery–all good improvements. We assume these advancements are largely related to the evolution of their proprietary resins, providing a unique blend of strength, durability and flexibility (the “Winston feel”). When applied to the PURE 2 series, the result is that they made a rod series we already liked (the PURE) even better.

Fishing the 8-foot 3-inch 4-weight on the Henry’s Fork during the School of Trout, it didn’t take long to feel the rod tracking well, and I had no problem making easy casts with tight loops. I happened to be with noted casting guru John Juracek, and he thought the rod was “a little too tippy,” and preferred a little more flex in the butt section, and a tad less in the tip.

But I didn’t find that to be too much of an issue, perhaps because the rod length is a bit shorter (8-foot, 3-inches) than the norm, and more likely because I’m not as good a caster as John. I might have felt the tippiness more in a 9-foot version, but I actually really liked the shorter length. I fished both the 8-foot, 3-inch 5-weight and the 8-foot, 3-inch 4-weight. The 5-weight is an interesting novelty, but the 4-weight is a superbly-designed fly rod and the standout in the product line.

Think of it (the shorter length) like the fly rod you broke off in the screen door, and instead of sending it in for repair, you simply glued on a new tip-top guide, and by some miracle that rod became your old go-to favorite.

The 8-foot 3-inch 4-weight is 100% a dry-fly rod. Or a rod for sight fishing with a single nymph, without any weight or indicator. You might get away with fishing smaller dry-dropper rigs, but the more weight you add at the end of the leader, the more the rod labors. This rod shines with single dry flies, and the size of the dry doesn’t really matter a ton (within reason).

It’s an easy fly rod to water load, roll cast, form wind-cutting loops and, in the hands of an experienced caster, relatively easy to throw longer leaders (up to 15 feet). It’s also a “true to line weight” rod, meaning you don’t have to over-line it, or buy a pre-cooked overweight line. I fished an Airflo Superflo Universal Taper and thought it was perfect.

And, of course, it’s a Winston, which means it’s beautiful to look at. The reel seat could be a quarter inch shorter for better balance, but that’s nitpicky. Pick one up, look at it, cast it and realize it’s a really fine instrument for a specific type of fishing. If dry fly is your game, PURE 2 is pure fun.

Pros

Intuitive (smooth) casting action.

This is one of the prettiest fly rods you might ever aspire to own.

It’s a dry-fly tool, with a unique length and fish-fighting feel that’s noticeably different from the competition.

True to line weight.

Cons

Lack of versatility, if that matters to you.

Slightly-overweight, high-floating, weight-forward lines (Scientific Anglers’ Amplitude Textured series or the RIO Elite Gold) are overkill, and detract from this rod action.

Can feel “tippy,” especially with shorter leaders and longer casts on big rivers.

Pricing

It’s a premium rod costing just under $1000. You definitely get your money’s worth on looks, feel and performance. Stacked against other premium level rods, it actually costs a couple hundred dollars less. However, some of those other premium rods can legitimately claim to be more versatile. We’ll see how the new “NanoParticle” technology performs from a durability perspective, but Winston fly rods have a long history of above-average durability, and I’m told these are even better.

Price: $995
Dimensions: 8-foot 3-inch 4-weight, 4-piece fly rod
Weight: ~4 ounces
Construction/Materials: NanoParticle double-bonded graphite technology (we know, it’s a mouthful)
Guides: Chrome nanolite stripper guide/chrome plated, light wire snake guides
Reel seat: Box elder with nickel silver uplocking hardware
Rod action: Medium
Rod tracking: Slight wobble
Rod recovery: Fast
Warranty information: Winston warranty

The PURE 2 is a product of Trout Country, brought from the same authentic spirit that has driven our passion for over nine decades.

Winston warranty.

“The Winston Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee covers every new Winston boron/graphite and graphite fly rod and blank against breakage or manufacturer’s defects. This warranty is available only to the original owner of products purchased from an authorized Winston Dealer. This warranty covers, at Winston’s option, the repair of the original rod or the replacement of the rod with an equivalent rod only. The warranty does not cover lost rods, lost rod sections, intentional breakage, misuse, neglect, cosmetic wear or scratches. Warranty coverage for Winston blanks is limited to the blank only. The serial number for every Winston can be found in the script closest to the cork on the rod.”

Likely buyers

If you like Winston rods, you’ll like this one. If you liked PURE, you’ll like PURE 2 more, and you’ll feel a difference, starting with the slightly larger grip. The PURE 2 is a more advanced fly rod and a pleasure to fish. I also wouldn’t be put off by the 8-foot-3-inch length, especially in the 4 weight. In fact, I’d gravitate towards it. After all, it’s not a Euro nymphing rod–it was specifically designed for fishing dry flies.

Conclusion

Some of my good friends might suggest the rod is a little tippy, but I think you’d maybe only notice that if you wanted to make bomber casts on wide open western rivers. One ironic thought I’ve had after fishing the 8-foot 3-inch 4-weight on the Henry’s Fork in Idaho–Winston, long proud of its Twin Bridges, Montana roots and considered an icon of western fly fishing, may very well have created the quintessential dry fly rod for Wisconsin’s Driftless region, northern Michigan, the Catskills and Appalachia…

For most places, and most anglers, the PURE 2 is a graceful and enjoyable fly rod to cast.

It will also force you to slow down your cast and make you a better angler.

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