Winston fly rods and Montana fly-fishing have gone together for as long as most of us can remember or recall. The company was formed in San Francisco in 1929, they moved to Twin Bridges in 1975 and continue to build some of the finesse premium fly rods on the market today. A Winston fly rod has always been highly regarded for their impeccable craftsmanship and smooth “feel” throughout the casting stroke. In the current lineup, the Air 2 is the Winston flagship freshwater fly rod family with a fast action, light in hand feel, and intuitive casting stroke. The 905 Air 2 has quickly become my personal, go-to-choice for all my dry fly-fishing scenarios from throwing hoppers from the drift boat or picking off slow-risers from the bank during a spring Baetis hatch.

The Air 2 was recognized by the Fly-Fishing Industry in 2022 as the “Best of Show Freshwater Fly Rod” at the 2022 International Fly Tackle Dealer show in Salt Lake City. The technology in the Air 2 series includes high-modulus graphite, an advanced resin system, and Winton’s Boron/Graphite construction for enhanced strength and smoothness. The combination of technology and attention to componentry details such as the cigar handle and light wire snake guides has resulted in a modern Winston fly rod unlike any other.

I have been fishing with the 9’ 5 weight model since mid-2022 in a variety of trout scenarios throughout the northern Rockies, putting it “to the test” in a wide range of applications. The rod excels at the dry fly game in that it loads easily for minimal false-casting and is “intuitively accurate” at a variety of distances. I fish with a variety of fly rods, some of my favorite current 9’ 5-weights right now include the Hardy Ultralight X, Orvis Helios 3D, and G. Loomis NRX+ 590 – all of which are fast-action fly rods that perform well in a wide range of conditions. The AIR 2 is a different beast in that it has more feel to it throughout the casting stroke and generally requires less effort to deliver tight loops for enhanced accuracy.

The AIR 2 feels “slower” than comparable fast-action rods during the casting stroke, yet the smooth transference of energy delivers the performance one would hope for with a fast-action rod. The light tip of the AIR 2protects delicate tippets often used in technical dry fly situations and helps in delivering softer presentations when required. There are better choices in the rods mentioned above when it comes to a situation specific application such as casting Salmonflies in the wind or indicator nymphing from a drift boat. However, for everyday dry-fly or dry/dropper fly-fishing in the “World of Trout,” the AIR 2 is both is an effective tool and an absolute pleasure to fish with as well.

The AIR 2 is only available at Winston Dealers around the world as they are one of the few manufacturers that continue to refrain from direct-to-consumer sales. I recommend pairing the AIR 2 905 with a RIO Elite Gold fly line for all-around use of the Scientific Angler Amplitude Smooth Trout line for ‘headhunting.” I find that the rod balances well with a Bauer RVR 4/5 reel or Abel TR 5/6, but there are many reels that go perfectly with this rod model. Be sure to take the AIR 2 out for a test cast the next time you are in the market for a fast action trout rod, I think you might be pleasantly surprised – as I was – when you start to compare it against the competition.