Winston's new line of Boron III TH Spey rods are due to hit fly shops any day now. I was lucky enough to test drive the new two-handers a couple of weeks ago and thought I'd give you a sneak peek at the new series. In addition to reviews on the new Boron III TH spey rods, I've included spey line recommendations with the "Larimer stamp of approval".
Besides the hand-crafted quality Winston is famous for, the new two-handers feature Boron III technology which makes the rods incredible responsive, light in hand and extremely strong. In addition, down-locking reel seats bring the weight lower which helps increase line speed off the tip of the rod. Finally, Winston rod designer Annette McLean dialed up some heart and soul in the new tapers. Over-all, you'll find the new Boron III TH rods slightly faster than the older BIIx Spey rods. However, they still maintain that sweet Winston feel.
Winston 6110-4 Boron III TH Spey Rod
The new 6110 Boron III TH is the smallest gun in the Winston’s new BIII TH Spey rod family. It’s incredibly light and responsive when lined with a 360 grain Airflo Rage Compact. That said, it casts like a light six. By that I mean it’s super fun with a floating line. However, don’t expect this stick to rip a Skagit head with 12’ of T-14 and a big, weighted fly. It will do sink-tips with a 420 Skagit Switch, just have reasonable expectations of what it can handle. The softer tip section on the 6110 should make it a fun streamer rod for big trout and smallmouth. Purchase the 6110-4 Boron III TH
Winston 6116-4 Boron III TH Spey Rod
The new 6116 Boron III TH is the perfect little Spey rod for dry line summer steelhead. With a 390 grain Airflo Rage Compact this thing was a cannon! More so, it has enough in the tank to cast fairly heavy sink-tips and weighted flies when paired with a 450 grain Airflo Skagit Switch. I can also see this being a wonderful rod for hucking sculpins and mice at big Alaskan rainbows. Purchase the 6116 Boron III TH
Winston 6126-4 Boron III TH Spey Rod
I loved the new Winston 6126 Boron III TH! This thing is a summer steelheader’s dream with a 390 Airflo Rage Compact. The rod’s powerful tip coupled with Winston’s unmistakable smooth action was a pleasure to cast. Don’t let the finesse of the 12’6 #6 weight fool you; it chucked a meaty tip incredibly well when teamed up with a 450 grain Skagit Switch. This may be the finest one salt summer steelhead rods ever built! Purchase the 6126 Boron III TH
Winston 7129-4 Boron III TH Spey Rod
Winston’s new 7129 Boron III TH will no doubt become an instant classic in the world of Spey casting. The rod’s smooth, silky feel coupled with incredulous power made one of my favorites in the new Boron III TH Spey rod line up. Lined with a 510 grain Airflo Skagit Switch the rod is unstoppable. -Hucking big sink-tips and heavy flies was a pleasure. When the sun drops below the canyon wall, a 450 grain Rage Compact commands the water. I also had a chance to throw a 510 Airflo Skagit intermediate on this rod and it jammed. In summary, the new 7129 Boron III TH is the perfect “all around” Spey rod. Purchase the 7129 Boron III TH
Winston 7133-4 Boron III TH Spey Rod
How could Winston’s new 7133 Boron III TH trump their old Boron II 13’3 #7 weight Spey rod? For starters, Winston made it lighter and more responsive. Rod designer Annette McClean also dialed up a little more power in the tip while maintaining that sweet Winston feel we all fell in love with. If you like a traditional Skagit, a 540 grain Airflo Skagit Compact is magic. If you fall into the short head-long rod camp, a 510 grain Skagit Switch is just silly fun. For dry line work, go 450 grain Rage Compact and unleash the fury. Purchase the 7133 Boron III TH
Winston 8136-4 Boron III TH Spey Rod
The power, clean tip recovery and lightness of the new 8136 Boron III TH surprised me. Despite the fact that it takes a 600 grain Skagit Compact or a 510 Rage, it casts small. By that I mean that while the 8136 is a big water stud, it feels more like a 13’ #7 weight in your hands. Yet, it will jack your biggest sink-tips and gnarliest intruders into the stratosphere. If you like the feel and taper of the new 7133 Boron III TH, look no further for your next big water stick. Purchase the 8136 Boron III TH
Winston 8140-4 Boron III TH Spey Rod
The new 8140 Boron III TH, the big brother to the 8136, is what I consider as a long belly stick. It did well with a 600 Skagit Compact but honestly, not as well as the 8136 BIII TH. However, lined with an Airflo 8/9 Ultra Spey it was a machine. I didn’t have an 8/9 Delta spooled up during testing but my gut tells me it would be spot on. Purchase the 8140 Boron III TH
Winston 9150-4 Boron III TH Spey Rod
The big gun in Winston’s new Boron III TH Spey series is for those few rivers where distance does matter. It’s no secret that I’m not a long belly guy. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed ripping big casts with a 9/10 Airflo Ultra Spey. I did try a 660 Skagit Compact with a 15’ sink-tip on the rod. -No fish will go uncovered. Purchase the 9140 Boron III TH
*All "Purchase Links" go to the Gorge Fly Shop in Hood River, Oregon. For all your Spey casting gear,visit their website.