sweetandsalt
Well-known member
NOTE: It gives me no pleasure to post this report and surely does me no good. However, since learning of the described events a few weeks ago, I knew I had to write something. I have tried to fact check and get multiple perspectives for this piece though not too much was forthcoming. The below content is true to the best of my knowledge and, if inaccurate in any specific way that any of you know of, please add additional or alternative information.
There was a time when I was in the Twin Bridges, Montana, area that I would look forward to going by the old, back ally shop at closing time and enjoy a bit of whisky out of an enameled metal cup with Glenn Brackett, Tom Morgan and, later, Jerry Kustich, too. Sometimes, some evening fishing on the Ruby was involved as well. Between the two of us, my wife and I have 4 Winston rods, all 8 ½’ models and the first was made in San Francisco prior to Winston’s move to Montana. Even back then, I was already moving on to rods with faster actions and quicker tips which represented dry fly presentation advantages on the bigger rivers I’ve long favored like the Henry’s Fork. Still, I had enormous respect and admiration for the dedicated artisans at Winston and the vison they manifested and adhered to.
Times change; Morgan’s health declined and the green and boo rod company was sold to a California based man with resources and the intent to preserve the Winston traditions and taper styles. A new larger, albeit architecturally un-small town Montana, factory was built south of town while Brackett and the Boo Boys continued working in the original, memorabilia laden shop in town. Sam Druckman, a young rod designer with a penchant for deeper flexing designs in the Winston tradition, was brought in and was known for BIIx and other early modern developments still following in the conceptual class of Morgan era WT’s.
Then Glenn was fired; allegedly over a financial disagreement about bringing in an outside cane rod shop apprentice. A man of calm wisdom, Glenn moved into another wooden building in Twin to pursue his passion and started Sweetgrass Rods. The bamboo shop craftsman followed Glenn and Druckman left too, to join Glenn, stating, “I did not join Winston to not work with the great Glenn Brackett”.
So, Brackett has Sweetgrass, Morgan had his independent boutique Tom Morgan Rodsmiths and Druckman went on to do his best work at Freestone. Morgan and Druckman, sadly, have both passed away. Brackett has moved Sweetgrass out of Twin to Butte and two fine men are carrying on Morgan’s company name and designs in Bozeman. These developments have led me to loose respect and long-held positive feelings for Winston, its ownership, management and compounded by the lack of a bona fide rod designer. Further, their now discontinued core rod series, BIIIx, I regarded as a design by committee “also-ran”, at best. Every model I test cast or fished resulted in a meh compared to the plethora of other, superior designed and built medium fast, progressive rods from other companies. The outrageous, globular overlapping epoxy work was an affront to any of us who admired the finish work exemplified by perfectionist Tom Morgan. I know fly rods and you can’t sell me one based on a pretty wood spacer with nickel silver bling and a nice green paint job.
I was done with Winston which had neither the product, personnel or character on top of the insult to the fly fishing community in the disrespect shown Glenn Brackett, a truly a wonderful man and craftsman.
I’m not a person who harbors prejudice though and in the world of fly fishing equipment, I seek merit in creativity, innovation and integrity. A few years ago, Winston added new, talented and professionally experienced management people, one who is a long-time friend of mine. Under this newly acquired management, Winston AIR with Nano silica resin technology, Pure, AIR Salt…the only Winston ever made appropriate for flats fishing…and new AIR Two Handers garnered Winston back-to-back best new fly rod awards at the European EFFTEX Show.
I test cast Winston’s 8’/#4 non-identical twins at Edison and fished and reviewed, here on our Forum, a field test sample of AIR Salt 9’/#9 while redfishing last spring. It was my intent to compare those two little 4-weights, right in Winston’s traditional wheelhouse, to the Scott GS #4 for a Forum thread. Prior to arriving in the Twin Bridges area, I learned that my friend, Jim Murphy, who I was on my way heading over there to visit, had departed from Winston. I have reached out to Winston, via e-mail, seeking publishable information as to the reasons an innovative man, intimately involved and contributory for their new found European awards, was no longer with the Company. They have responded that no press release or explanatory statement was forthcoming.
Winston has always been about the Winston “feel” not blank-building craftsmanship. In fact, many of their most revered rods of yesteryear were built on blanks made based on Morgan’s specifications by JK Fisher and later, fabrication pioneer, Gary Loomis’s IM6’s. Winton’s made in Montana blanks may well be among the poorest constructed of any of the famed American made rod makers, flaws and inconsistencies hidden beneath the widely adored glossy green paint, which they, unsuccessfully, once strove to patent. I am aware of no indication that they have upgraded their fabrication equipment or brought in skilled and experienced outside rod building personnel to keep abreast in a small industry where material science is a vital component of rod design. Instead they seem to be relying on the enviable, if now misplaced, customer loyalty to Morgan era green rods. Once a rod maker of leadership and integrity but no longer.
For the second time, a rod company I have fished rods from since the late 1970’s has disaffected me and the only way they’re likely to get a third chance is by selling the company to qualified, industry professional ownership, revamping their operations and hiring a talented rod designer. I’m not fishing any of my old Winston’s in protest.
There was a time when I was in the Twin Bridges, Montana, area that I would look forward to going by the old, back ally shop at closing time and enjoy a bit of whisky out of an enameled metal cup with Glenn Brackett, Tom Morgan and, later, Jerry Kustich, too. Sometimes, some evening fishing on the Ruby was involved as well. Between the two of us, my wife and I have 4 Winston rods, all 8 ½’ models and the first was made in San Francisco prior to Winston’s move to Montana. Even back then, I was already moving on to rods with faster actions and quicker tips which represented dry fly presentation advantages on the bigger rivers I’ve long favored like the Henry’s Fork. Still, I had enormous respect and admiration for the dedicated artisans at Winston and the vison they manifested and adhered to.
Times change; Morgan’s health declined and the green and boo rod company was sold to a California based man with resources and the intent to preserve the Winston traditions and taper styles. A new larger, albeit architecturally un-small town Montana, factory was built south of town while Brackett and the Boo Boys continued working in the original, memorabilia laden shop in town. Sam Druckman, a young rod designer with a penchant for deeper flexing designs in the Winston tradition, was brought in and was known for BIIx and other early modern developments still following in the conceptual class of Morgan era WT’s.
Then Glenn was fired; allegedly over a financial disagreement about bringing in an outside cane rod shop apprentice. A man of calm wisdom, Glenn moved into another wooden building in Twin to pursue his passion and started Sweetgrass Rods. The bamboo shop craftsman followed Glenn and Druckman left too, to join Glenn, stating, “I did not join Winston to not work with the great Glenn Brackett”.
So, Brackett has Sweetgrass, Morgan had his independent boutique Tom Morgan Rodsmiths and Druckman went on to do his best work at Freestone. Morgan and Druckman, sadly, have both passed away. Brackett has moved Sweetgrass out of Twin to Butte and two fine men are carrying on Morgan’s company name and designs in Bozeman. These developments have led me to loose respect and long-held positive feelings for Winston, its ownership, management and compounded by the lack of a bona fide rod designer. Further, their now discontinued core rod series, BIIIx, I regarded as a design by committee “also-ran”, at best. Every model I test cast or fished resulted in a meh compared to the plethora of other, superior designed and built medium fast, progressive rods from other companies. The outrageous, globular overlapping epoxy work was an affront to any of us who admired the finish work exemplified by perfectionist Tom Morgan. I know fly rods and you can’t sell me one based on a pretty wood spacer with nickel silver bling and a nice green paint job.
I was done with Winston which had neither the product, personnel or character on top of the insult to the fly fishing community in the disrespect shown Glenn Brackett, a truly a wonderful man and craftsman.
I’m not a person who harbors prejudice though and in the world of fly fishing equipment, I seek merit in creativity, innovation and integrity. A few years ago, Winston added new, talented and professionally experienced management people, one who is a long-time friend of mine. Under this newly acquired management, Winston AIR with Nano silica resin technology, Pure, AIR Salt…the only Winston ever made appropriate for flats fishing…and new AIR Two Handers garnered Winston back-to-back best new fly rod awards at the European EFFTEX Show.
I test cast Winston’s 8’/#4 non-identical twins at Edison and fished and reviewed, here on our Forum, a field test sample of AIR Salt 9’/#9 while redfishing last spring. It was my intent to compare those two little 4-weights, right in Winston’s traditional wheelhouse, to the Scott GS #4 for a Forum thread. Prior to arriving in the Twin Bridges area, I learned that my friend, Jim Murphy, who I was on my way heading over there to visit, had departed from Winston. I have reached out to Winston, via e-mail, seeking publishable information as to the reasons an innovative man, intimately involved and contributory for their new found European awards, was no longer with the Company. They have responded that no press release or explanatory statement was forthcoming.
Winston has always been about the Winston “feel” not blank-building craftsmanship. In fact, many of their most revered rods of yesteryear were built on blanks made based on Morgan’s specifications by JK Fisher and later, fabrication pioneer, Gary Loomis’s IM6’s. Winton’s made in Montana blanks may well be among the poorest constructed of any of the famed American made rod makers, flaws and inconsistencies hidden beneath the widely adored glossy green paint, which they, unsuccessfully, once strove to patent. I am aware of no indication that they have upgraded their fabrication equipment or brought in skilled and experienced outside rod building personnel to keep abreast in a small industry where material science is a vital component of rod design. Instead they seem to be relying on the enviable, if now misplaced, customer loyalty to Morgan era green rods. Once a rod maker of leadership and integrity but no longer.
For the second time, a rod company I have fished rods from since the late 1970’s has disaffected me and the only way they’re likely to get a third chance is by selling the company to qualified, industry professional ownership, revamping their operations and hiring a talented rod designer. I’m not fishing any of my old Winston’s in protest.
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