Winston Air 2 Saltwater Single Handed Fly Rod

The second generation of AIR single-handed rods uncompromisingly builds on the success of its predecessor and powerfully represents Winston’s 90+ year tradition.

AIR 2 Saltwater fly rods by Winston can (almost) do it all: Present small shrimp patterns to wary sea trout in shallow coastal water, cast heavy streamers in the wind to distant shores, shoot the entire line in a tight loop, and make quick, precise short-distance casts. Whether you’re fishing for pike from the shore, casting from a boat, or wading in a salmon river, the new AIR 2 delivers first-class performance. If you need to choose a rod that prepares you for (almost) every scenario on the water, the Boron AIR 2 is the ideal choice.

The improvements compared to the first AIR models, originally designed for freshwater fishing for trout, grayling, and more, are impressive in our opinion! Highlights include:

• A new taper design offering a faster, progressive all-round action. Extremely lightweight yet powerful!
• Introduction of S-2000, a next-generation high-modulus graphite material for faster recovery and smoothness.
• New boron configuration for enhanced strength and energy transfer.
• New Winston-style cigar grip for improved casting feel.
• Custom HSR (High Strain Rate) resin for even faster recovery, a modern feel, increased durability, and higher part strength at lower weight.
• New Light Wire Shooting Snake Guides with smaller profile, ECO-Slick coating, and round helix geometry to reduce line friction and enhance energy, accuracy, and distance control.

Just like the AIR 1, the AIR 2 impresses with a very low physical weight and reveals its strength with the first cast thanks to its extremely low swing weight. You can immediately feel that these rods are lovingly handcrafted for fishing, not just for casting on the lawn. The sensitive blank loads optimally even at short distances, so you don't need long casts to experience the AIR 2’s fast recovery speed and smooth energy transfer to the fly line. Across all casting distances, you receive immediate and complete feedback from the blank, resulting in pinpoint and delicate presentations. And that’s often exactly what matters most in practice! Compared to the predecessor, the action is slightly faster and livelier, which we personally really like.

The build quality of the AIR 2 is – as expected from Winston – impeccable. Both models feature an elegantly shaped full wells grip made from premium cork. The uplocking aluminum reel seat adds durability and perfectly complements the refined Winston Green blank. The new, slightly smaller guides look even better to us. As always, each AIR 2 comes in a handcrafted fabric rod sock and a high-quality carbon fiber rod tube.

We look forward to many hours on the water with the updated AIR rod series and highly recommend it to the most discerning fly anglers. A masterpiece of modern rod craftsmanship!

Details:

• Medium-fast to fast, progressive action
• New taper design (slightly faster than previous models)
• New high-modulus graphite material (S2000)
• New HSR resin (High Strain Rate)
• Faster recovery than its predecessor
• 4-piece construction
• Light Wire Shooting Snake Guides
• Eco slick-coated hard chrome lightweight guides
• Aluminum uplocking reel seat
• Premium cork cigar grip
• Delivered in premium graphite rod tube with logo rod sock
• Handcrafted in Twin Bridges, Montana (USA)