Fly Fishing R.L. Winston Rods in Southwest Montana

Located just 40 miles from our brick and mortar, the R.L. Winston Rod Company has long been a partner in business with the Madison River Fishing Company. With close proximity comes tight relations, and our connection to R.L. Winston is no exception to that rule. One could say that we’ve got a certain level of pride when it comes to our neighbor. Winston represents Southwest Montana authenticity, a characteristic that we do our utmost to stand by each and every day. 

The history of the Madison River Fishing Company is intertwined with R.L. Winston. Winston rods have been sold in our shop since its inception in 1984. When looking at our past it’s impossible not to include our neighbors within our story, they have been a central part of our identity as a fly shop in Southwest Montana. R.L. Winston isn’t just another brand that stocks our shelves, these rods are sophisticated fishing tools that grace our drift boats with their beauty and technology.

We’ve watched first hand as Winston has evolved their rod series from the notorious BII X all the way to today’s flagship rod, the AIR 2. One of Winston’s philosophies is the push to come up with something that they’d love to use, not just to create what will sell. As a rod manufacturer they have both the confidence and humility to admit when a rod has reached peak performance. The culmination of these notions has resulted in The Tom Morgan Favorite, a timeless fly rod infused with the legacy of Tom Morgan himself. 

For many anglers, owning an R.L. Winston is a rite of passage. Most of us spend a significant portion of our lives coveting the infamous green blank. It’s due to this that when an angler finally unscrews the cap of their Winston rod tube, an indescribable feeling often overtakes them. In their hands is superior craftsmanship, an unparalleled attention to detail, and quite frankly, a work of art. We’re proud to carry R.L. Winston rods at the Madison River Fishing company, but we’re even more proud to have these rods within our own personal collections. 

By Danny Eiden

Danny grew up fishing the Driftless region of Wisconsin focusing on warmwater species, tricking bass, northern pike and muskies with big streamers and poppers. A recent college graduate, Danny finds himself tying a lot of flies and working on navigating his new territory around the Madison Valley while contributing to the MRFC blog.