Winston Passport Fly Rod Review

Nov 12, 2013 · 2 min read

The Wintson Passport is Winston's (budget minded) fast action rod. It's received a lot of acclaim, not only for its casting ability, but for being out of stock. Everywhere. We've got them!

OUTFIT

FIT AND FINISH

From afar it looks like a standard Winston in design and finish, though up close it's pretty far from their flagship BIIIX. This is not to say its not a well made or ugly rod, but (especially in the reel seat) one can tell where budget cuts were made. Decent wraps and snake guides along the dark brown blank make for a classic Winston look. There is also a noticeable swelling in the cork. I have used sandpaper to flatten it out on mine, as even with my large hands it was uncomfortable, especially during long outings.

WEIGHT

Listed at 3 3/10oz. About the same as their VSL. The Passport suffers a little in swing weight but balances well with the Guru.

DISTANCE

Consider it's softer tip, the Passport casts well at longer distances. It's not the best in it's class as the butt power isn't as rigid as some others, but certainly not an obvious downfall as 60ft + casts are not common for most trout fishermen.

ACCURACY

Really good. At short to medium distances the Passport is right up there with some of the best and most expensive rods out there. Again the softer tip allows for added feel and accuracy and the good balance in design allows for smooth and accurate casts.

FLEX AND FEEL

Along the same lines as the "accuracy" category, the Passport feels great at short to medium distances mainly because of it's great feel and balance.

NYMPHING

If nymphing is your main game than the Passport might not be for you. Lack of stiffness would make it hard to turn over a multiple nymph rig and those larger fish in deep pools would be harder to pull out.

STREAMER

With either floating line or sinking tip, this is a lot of fun to fish with streamers. As with any rod, the heavier the streamer the harder it can get, but with anything less than a conehead the Passport's great cast-ability makes it fun.

DRY FLY

It's a Winston right? Of course it's good for dry fly fishing (haha). It's not quite in the same league as the BIIIX, but the Winston Passport might be the best dry fly rod under $300.

WARRANTY

http://www.winstonrods.com/category/resources/warranty.php Price: $239

PROS

Budget friendly
Great casting rod
Well balanced and accurate

CONS

Some of the construction/parts aren't as good as I would like
Suffers some while nymphing

Written by

Ben Freeman

Ben Freeman founded Trident Fly Fishing in 2012 to cut through the marketing fluff and provide anglers with the technical info they actually need. He’s built his reputation by putting gear to the ultimate test in the world’s most unforgiving fisheries. With fishing stamps from over 22 countries and 17+ states, Ben’s passport is a roadmap of bucket list angling—from landing a 25lb Golden Dorado in Bolivia and 150lb Arapaima in Guyana to sight-casting for Roosterfish off the beaches in Baja. Whether it’s battling 60+mph winds to land a 20lb Rainbow at Jurassic Lake or a full day of casting 8in streamers in Mongolia, Ben has spent decades ensuring his gear performs when a trip of a lifetime is on the line.

At Trident, Ben serves as the lead gear geek, specializing in the deep-dive mechanics of rods, reels, and lines. Over the past 15 years, he's reviewed 250+ fly rods and 150+ fly reels and is likely one of the most prolific rod reviewers in the world. But he doesn't just curate the catalog; he scrutinizes every taper and drag system through the lens of a traveling angler who knows what it's like to have gear fail a thousand miles from home. For Ben, the mission is simple: leverage his experience across nearly 100 species to ensure that when you head into the wild, you’re equipped with gear that has been vetted by someone who has actually been there.

Comments

(0)

No comments yet. Be the first!