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Post 29 Mar 2021, 11:47 • #1 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 250
I just recently purchased a new to me 7' 4wt Winston glass rod. It appears to be an early Montana made rod. The gentleman who sold it to me is no longer fly fishing and wanted to sell the rod to someone who will use it. I certainly fit the bill! He told me he bought it new, in 1980. Anyway, I've done some research on serial numbers and I'm just wondering what you all can tell me about this rod. I've emailed Winston, but no response yet. The serial is 1108 written on the blank in black.

And since I know how much we all love pics, here are a few of my new dream rod!










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Post 29 Mar 2021, 12:11 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/19/08
Posts: 1218
Location: Branson, Missouri
Stunning - took my breath clean away ~
Shows some use and very well taken care of too!
Did you flashlight the serial number ? I am not sure how you even saw it.

Not too many guys carrying that.
That could be fished with gusto.


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Post 29 Mar 2021, 12:20 • #3 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 250
I didn't take a picture of the serial number yet. I was going to yesterday afternoon but I had a rod turning in there and didn't want to move around and kick up dust. So I'm going to try and take some more pics tonight. you can see the black writing on the blank, believe it or not, just need good lighting.

More to come!


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Post 29 Mar 2021, 14:54 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
Fisher-made blank, and as it good as it gets in a 'glass 4 weight of that length. The rod will be listed in this catalog (very unlikely it was changed in any significant way a year or two later): viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1043


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Post 29 Mar 2021, 17:44 • #5 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19076
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Winston offered glass rods in the back of their catalogs through 2000. Very few fly pro shops carried them, in favor of the green IM6.


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Post 29 Mar 2021, 18:58 • #6 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 250
According to your post whrlpool my rod is a stalker! It’s marked 7’ 4wt 2 1/8 60grams. Some more pics for the forum (serial number is 1108)





And the writing:






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Post 29 Mar 2021, 19:07 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/19/08
Posts: 1218
Location: Branson, Missouri
Beauty, eh!

Whew - what a peach. You are quite the lucky hombre.


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Post 29 Mar 2021, 22:13 • #8 
Guide
Joined: 02/18/18
Posts: 276
Location: US-TX
As Brian said above...you are a lucky man. That is an exceptional fly rod. Enjoy!
Carl


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Post 29 Mar 2021, 22:35 • #9 
Guide
Joined: 04/03/19
Posts: 221
Location: CO
Nice find!


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Post 30 Mar 2021, 08:42 • #10 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/18/12
Posts: 1712
Location: Bozeman, MT
Score! :)


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Post 30 Mar 2021, 13:41 • #11 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/10/07
Posts: 1632
Location: The Netherlands
Congrats!

The Stalker series was introduced in 1975. Just prior to moving Winston from San Francisco to Twin Bridges, Montana. Here is the Stalker page in a 1977 Winston catalog:


Your rod has the 'Montana look'. Other Stalkers, like my 7ft Stalker, has a full wells grip what I would call the 'San Francisco look'.



Lots of info in this topic:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=15321


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Post 30 Mar 2021, 15:25 • #12 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 250
ibookje - this is MUCH appreciated. thanks for the info!


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Post 30 Mar 2021, 19:32 • #13 
Guide
Joined: 07/14/20
Posts: 111
Beautiful rods, thanks for sharing!


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Post 31 Mar 2021, 17:57 • #14 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/27/07
Posts: 645
Location: Missouri
It does not get any better than that! Perfection in glass.


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Post 31 Mar 2021, 21:34 • #15 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/26/12
Posts: 1188
Location: Fairfax, Virginia
YIKES, what a grand find ! Can I please come fish with you (it) ?

Pecos


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Post 01 Apr 2021, 21:09 • #16 
Master Guide
Joined: 12/11/20
Posts: 378
Location: Dallas, TX
That is so amazingly cool. What a wonderful find.


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Post 02 Apr 2021, 09:35 • #17 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/28/13
Posts: 467
Location: Boston MA
That is a dream rod!!! Love the look of the grip, cork cap & ring reel seat, the black writing on the dark blank, the 7ft 4wt configuration, the history/pedigree of the rod and Tom Morgan, the water where it would be fished, the fish such a rod would catch.... I could go on and on. I bet it would cast and fish as nicely in hand as I imagine it would. Wow!


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Post 11 Apr 2021, 14:17 • #18 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/05/07
Posts: 2153
Location: West Virginia
MrJesse34, that was a great find. For comparison, here is an early Montana Stalker with a white spigot ferrule and no serial number. It has a San Francisco decal but a Montana tube label. It is my understanding that Winston used up their San Francisco decals before going to the new Montana decals. I happily acquired this rod from my good friend, Matt Leiderman, this weekend. It’s a rod I have wanted to try for many years - slow but sweet.



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Post 11 Apr 2021, 17:40 • #19 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 250
Duff congrats, that is so awesome!

I had a chance to fish this rod, finally, today. Took it out in a steady rain, during a heavy grannom caddis hatch. Caught 4 on various elk hair patterns. I was skeptical of this rod - I have heard nothing but incredible reviews since I joined this forum. I thought, it can’t be THAT good. I was completely wrong. This rod simply puts the fly where you point it, every time. I had a reel that was too heavy on it today, but it made no difference. The fly went where I wanted it each time. Being a 4wt it had enough backbone to heavy mend, too, when casting across heavy current. I was so happy with it.

One thing I did notice is the sliding band reel seat is very shallow - it was hard to get it to secure the reel I was using today.

Some pics for ya:





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Post 15 Apr 2021, 06:55 • #20 
New Member
Joined: 03/28/21
Posts: 10
Put shrink sleeve on the reel foot.
That should solve your issue
Nice rod!


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Post 17 Apr 2021, 12:22 • #21 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/09
Posts: 5561
Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
I'm not a Hardy fan, but somehow a Stalker should go with a nice Hardy. That should solve the reel foot issues.


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Post 18 Apr 2021, 04:46 • #22 
Guide
Joined: 03/12/15
Posts: 269
Location: US-CT
For more info on Winston glass rods- take at look at Ed Mitchell Outdoors blog- he is currently doing a sequence on Winston glass.
He is a collector and angler who fishes the Winston glass rods.


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Post 03 May 2021, 09:48 • #23 
Master Guide
Joined: 12/11/20
Posts: 378
Location: Dallas, TX
Any more fishing adventures to share with this lovely rod? I’d like to see more pics in action to live vicariously.


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Post 04 May 2021, 07:11 • #24 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 250
The guy who sold it to me sent me an Orvis CFO III to use with it. The reel feet fit the bands perfectly. I had to send it out to Orvis for repair as one of the pawl springs was very loose. Once I get it back, I'll be fishing it all the time. I'll certainly share when I do!

For what its worth, it looks like people have mostly recommended this line: https://406flylines.com/shop/ols/produc ... esentation. I'm going to grab a DT4 to put on the CFO III and see how it works.


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Post 07 May 2021, 10:27 • #25 
Master Guide
Joined: 12/11/20
Posts: 378
Location: Dallas, TX
Jesse I predict you will love that 406 Vintage DT. Especially on that special vintage rod.


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