Gear Review - Winston Air 2 Max Saltwater Fly Rod

Overview: I recently traveled to Cape Cod with three of my buddies and my youngest son to chase Striped bass, or "Stripers" in the local nomenclature – one of the popular, hard-fighting migratory gamefish the area is known for – on the fly.

For the trip I had the opportunity to demo Winston's recently launched Air 2 Max series of saltwater fly rods ($1,245) in eight through ten weights in the nine-foot model. Each rod was paired with Bauer's SLT saltwater reel ($995) and Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Striper floating line ($99) or Scientific Anglers Sonar Striper Intermediate sinking line ($99) both of which fish two line-sizes heavy.

Over the the course of the trip we put the rods through the paces in various settings including a charter trip exploring the offshore rips for larger fish, casting from kayaks and a skiff in local estuaries, and sight fishing the tidal flats for schoolies and slot fish. Throughout our time we employed a variety of techniques from teasing topwater poppers to shuttling small crab, shrimp, and sand-eel patterns, and stripping large baitfish and squid imitations.

While Winston has long been a leader in the freshwater fly rod market, the Air 2 Max is their first foray into saltwater-specific models. The new lineup consists of 11 distinct saltwater rods – from an 8'6" six-weight up to a 9' twelve-weight, each designed for power and big game performance; qualities not historically associated with the iconic green sticks.

The Winston website says this: "Utilizing our newest innovative material platform found in the award-winning AIR 2 in conjunction with our fastest and most powerful tapers to date, the new AIR 2 Max series optimize performance in saltwater, warmwater, and large freshwater fishing applications across the globe. Each model has been meticulously tuned for accuracy, lifting strength, and line speed, boasting the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any rod we’ve ever made. The AIR 2 Max models are powerful without compromising castability or lightness in-hand. Our proprietary AIR 2 materials create unprecedented feel, power, tracking, recovery, and lightweight performance – truly redefining fast-action performance for any saltwater and big-game application worldwide."

Rod Series Details:

Action: Very Fast.

Grip : 7″ full wells grip on 6-10 weights. 8″ full wells grip on 11-12 weights. Premium Flor Grade Cork.

Reel seat: Silver lightweight anodized aluminum. Double uplocking aluminum rings. 1 ½” fighting butt on 6-10 weights, 2 ½“ fighting butt on 11-12 weights.

Stripping guides: Cerecoil hard titanium construction with high flexibility and Ceramic insert.

Snake guides: Recoil saltwater snake guides with hard titanium finish and high flexibility.

Sections: Four

Manufactured: Designed and handcrafted in Twin Bridges, Montana, USA.

Additional Notes:

First, I need to point out that while I am a relatively experienced freshwater angler, and while I also frequently fish heavier/faster rods throwing big streamers and topwater patterns, I am not an experienced saltwater angler, so there was a decently steep learning curve involved on my part – especially in the wind.

Second, as it relates to the review, so much of any rod's "greatness," beyond obvious design and material decisions comes down to "feel." And feel in rods, much like in hiking boots, can be very subjective – a rod that is soft or spongy to me might feel stiff or even snappy to someone who is more accustomed to a slower action; a grip that fits my hand well may feel off to someone else; a rod that loads well for my buddy might cause me fits due to my style. And fly line can greatly vary the performance of a rod as well. Like firearms with ammo, some rods just seem to prefer certain lines, and my test was limited to a couple of line choices.

That all being said, while each of these rods share the same material form, design philosophy, and overall build, for my casting style and in the rods I demo'd I enjoyed them more the heavier weight I used. Meaning I felt a little "under-gunned" with the eight, particularly in the tough coastal winds, could send bombs with the ten without losing "feel," and thought the nine landed nicely in the middle as a perfect do all (that I wanted to) option.

What I like:

Action: This fast-action rod is a bomber, made for double hauls, heavy lines, big flies, and hard-fighting fish, and that is where it excels. But, despite how fast it is, it still offers generous feel and feedback, is extremely pleasant to cast, and has enough finesse for shorter, accurate shots when needed. It also demonstrated great pick up and fish-landing power. After four days of hard fishing I could tell that the Air 2 Max had even more to give than I was able to squeeze out of it.

Weight: While the Air 2 Max may not be the lightest rod on the market, it definitely shades in that direction and has a noticeable "light-in-the-hand" feel for as much backbone as it offers. We fished four days non-stop (often starting at 3 AM and ending at 3 AM the following day – with a quick lunch and mid-day nap in between) and I did not experience any of the arm fatigue I normally would with continuous casting a fast-action rod in these weights.

Made in the USA: The rods in the Air 2 Max series are all designed and handcrafted in Twin Bridges, Montana. I've toured the Winston facility and watched the build process and it's impressive. Even if it seems miles from the salt, there's something very special about fishing a rod that was hand-made and hand-lettered in the big-trout country of Montana. And each new rod is backed by Winston's Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee.

Aesthetic: Let's be honest, Winston rods are eye-catching with their iconic green color, hand lettering, and polished reels seats, and while this isn't the driving reason to select a rod, it's always fun to turn a few heads out on the water. The Air 2 Max definitely does that, including a sideways glance or two from the locals who wondered if we maybe made a wrong turn out of Michigan when we showed up with them.

What I Don't Like:

Cost: Yep, Winston's can be pricey, and at $1,245, the Air 2 Max is up there. That being said, the cost is in line with other premium brands in the category, and this rod delivers all the quality you'd expect from a Winston in a truly exceptional saltwater-specific set up. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

Weight Preference: As I mentioned above, personally I felt a little under-gunned with the eight-weight and experienced the real power (and feel) of this rod to a greater degree in the nine and ten-weights. I especially enjoyed the ten, which was able to deliver long, accurate casts without sacrificing feel/feedback or causing arm fatigue.

It should be noted that the eight-weight was fished with different line than the nine and ten-weights (Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Striper floating line versus Scientific Anglers Sonar Striper Intermediate sinking line), and that my saltwater experience, especially in heavy winds, is very limited and may have caused issues that an angler with more experience might be less inclined to notice.

Perfect For:

The Air 2 Max brings everything you love about a Winston rod into an exceptional series of saltwater sticks, providing an uncanny balance of power and accuracy, exceptional feedback, crisp recovery, and smooth casting. These ultra-fast rods are overbuilt with heavy-duty, salt-specific components, though they would also make fantastic freshwater rods for outsized streamers, and big top-waters. While they come with a premium price tag, the craftsmanship and performance justify the spend.

Rating: 5 out of 5

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