Made in Montana: R.L. Winston Rods
Developed by an OLLI at MSU volunteer writer
Spring is just around the corner, and OLLI's spring semester is open for registration. You'll notice that OLLI is offering several courses on the art of fly fishing this semester. This is appropriate since Montana is one of the world's epicenters for catching trout.
Montana's rich history of fly fishing dates back to the founding of the R.L. Winston Rod Company in 1929. Robert Winther and Lew Stoner founded the company in San Francisco. Initially, they pioneered building bamboo rods, known for their excellent quality and performance. In fact, in the '30s and '40s, several world casting records were broken by anglers using Winston rods. Primo Livenais shattered the world record in 1936 using a powerful Winston surf rod with a 623-foot cast.
Winston perfected their manufacturing and design techniques, and their reputation continued to excel. After a series of ownership changes, David Ondaatje bought the facility in 1991 and moved it to Twin Bridges, MT. In Twin Bridges, the company was able to take complete control of the sourcing and manufacturing process to ensure continued innovation and quality control. Plus, they had the added benefit of being in the backyard of world-class trout fishing of the Beaverhead, Big Hole and Jefferson Rivers.
Today, you can take a short drive to Twin Bridges, tour the facility, witness how Winston makes rods and meet the remarkable staff. It's never too early to get a jump start on the fishing season!
SOURCES: Winstonrods.com
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