I'll go out on a limb--which I never mind--and say they are unsurpassed for their type, simply because there has been so little change in fiberglass technology, and its technical limits were more or less reached at that time. There are various similar models today that may have a nuance that would make them more or less desirable to any one angler. They were among the first to explore light fly lines in fine 'glass rods, partly as the longer-lighter trend came on in graphite. They are an acquired taste in specialty circumstances, but to judge from your avatar photo, you might be in one of them. Check out the Winston catalog in "rod papers," and you can compare their characteristics to more typical 'glass rods in Winston's other series. Tom Morgan, as far as I'm concerned, was the best and most realistic ever in describing fly rod designs, actions, and their uses and performance traits, although there are certainly others of similar authenticity.

Whripool, photo's are sometimes misleading,and Rich I'm sure i don't want to go fishing with a garden hose.You guys just saved me a bunch of money ... aurelio

whrlpool, you are correct, the rod I cast was the Gumby doll green version of the "Stalker". rich

I haven't cast an original, but those who like light glass can't speak highly enough of them. On the other hand, the green blank Winston rods labeled Stalker earned almost universal scorn as complete noodles. Unfortunately, some eBay sellers attempt to pass off the green rods as the real thing. There was also a later line of Retro brown glass Winston Stalkers that was considered a much better replica.

The rod up for auction on eBay is a genuine, Fisher blank, Stalker. The seller is a cane rod builder who really knows good glass. You don't have to worry about the provenance on this one. But if it goes for big money, watch out that those photos and description don't start showing up again and again.

Tom

The original Winston "Stalker" series was never meant to be a do all rod. T Morgan designed them to be light line, small fly, rods capable of handling larger fish on small tippets. I have a 7.5' 4wt which I would describe as on the slow side of medium action. It is a pleasure to cast with small drys, emergers, unweighted nymphs, and it ex cells when fishing soft hackles with no wind. I believe it to be a specialty rod for specific situations. The more modern versions(2 different models) produced by Winston do not measure up to the original, and as I've said the original is a rod that will take some getting used too. I still think of them as great fishing rods, just that you have to come with a different mind set in order to appreciate what they are. They aren't for everyone, and especially hard for light line graphite aficionados to wrap their head around. Respectfully rvreclus

Damn, I hope one of the guys from the Forum gets that rod - really, really nice - and maybe we can meet up some time and I'd get to cast it! Duff, you listening?
Regards, Steve

Steve, wish I could say I won it, but I bowed out when it really took off today. It would have been a neat rod for very special conditions.

Great price for the seller! For those who wanted it, but didn't get it, there may be good news. Though that rod is a scarce collector's item, it's a very slow, difficult to cast (impossible in wind) rod with very limited uses. Tom Morgan's new glass 3 wts. (still yet to hit the market) are, in my opinion, much improved - still smooth and easygoing, but with more butt strength, zip and ability to deal with moderate wind. Very sweet rods and much more practical, though mainly available as blanks. Still, for not much more than that eBay original Stalker you would even be able to buy it in finished form from Tom. At that price ($1,300+) there won't be many of them sold, so it will probably become a collector's item too.

I, too, am very fortunate to have an 8' , 3 weight original Winston Stalker - absolutely perfect for fishing a BWO hatch on local spring creeks. Very special rod. Congrats to the winner of the recent auction!

My first day (evening) on the forum but I have to jump in here.

In 1977, if I recall correctly, I built an 8 1/2 6wt. stalker kit rod. I couldn't afford the new graphite rods back then. In my ignorance of the rod's limitations I caught trout with it in Wis., Michigan, and Montana plus some Great Lakes steelhead. I could cast the whole length of the line when my timing was right, hardly a noodle.

Then I started my graphite collection and finally picked up a few cane rods. The Winston Stalker languished in the closet. After fishing Granger and Phillipson cane rods the last couple years I dug the Stalker out for a comparison. To me the Stalker felt quite similar to those cane rods and my Winston 9' 5 wt. green graphite all great smooth moderate action rods (by today's standard) that can deliver in a breeze yet protect light tippets. Though the length is different, it feels a lot like my 7.25 foot Russ Peak glass rod.

Tom lives here. It's been my privilege to meet him a few times. What a gentleman! And what a couragious talent. A friend was trying to talk Tom into a rabbit hunt at dinner years ago and I remember Tom replying "I'm not mad at rabbits."

So I agree with Duff!

BigSky, great post on your Winston. Given the all-around use of that rod (I have a very similar 8'6" built from a Fisher blank) is it possible it's from Winston's standard trout series, as opposed to the Stalkers? I didn't go back to the catalog in "rod papers" to check, but it sounds like one of the standard rods sold in kit form. No matter, it's still a great rod. The catalog is right from the time when you got that kit.

I had three of the original Winston glass rods in the 70's--one (a 7' 4wt Stalker) was my main rod well into the 90's. Sadly, I was convinced to sell a superb 7'6" 5wt Trout to fund a new Superfine 8' graphite. The other Trout, a 7'6" 6wt, was destroyed in a Navy move. The Stalker eventually went to that special little trout stream in the sky, victim to my clumsy casting and overhead trees, long after Winston had discontinued glass. If I'd hung on to the butt and mid long enough, I might have been able to find another tip, but glass appeared to be dead and gone at the time, and hindsight is 20/20. I believe I've finally found a worthy replacement to that little gem, a 7'3" 4wt McFarland that is far more versatile than you'd imagine, for a short, light, slow rod.
-CC