Winston BIIMX review

OK, I thought I would try something different and give a review of a new rod I've been fishing this year. Maybe that will draw a little more response!
I bought a Winston BII-MX 9' 6wt this spring because I love Winston rods and this is the "new thing" from Winston. As with all Winston rods, they are beautiful. The craftmanship is second to none. You almost hate to put them in the boat for fear they might get scratched! I overcame my fear (first trip was alone so nobody could step on it in the boat) and stuck a reel on it with a WF6 line. I started off throwing streamers and I could've been throwing a small rodent with the strength in the butt section! It really took me by surprise and was much different than my other Winston rods. I then switched over to a nymph rig and some weight. It loaded much better with the small amount of weight and casted nicely with the breeze that was blowing. To say it has plenty of power would be an understatement. To say I could've thrown a rodent might be a little of an overstatement although it would make for a good bet and laugh to see it done!
I've fished this rod now with everything from large streamers to small caddis and hoppers. Honestly I would say this rod would fish best if overlined one size. I am going to take it to do some saltwater fishing this year and line it with a 7wt and I think it will be great. I just have to make a special case for it so I don't scratch the factory tube and the rod is safe from any harm. They are just too pretty to throw around! Not to mention they aren't cheap.

I wouldn't suggest trying to cast it on a spring creek with #22 tricos. Leave that to a 4 wt Winston Lt. If you are looking for something that has plenty of power and could fish a lot of different water in different conditions, this would be a good one. If you are looking for something with a nice "soft" Winston feel, I wouldn't suggest this rod. I ordered a Sage TCX 6wt and I'm really looking forward to comparing the two. It should be interesting!

I'll make another post after I have some time to fish the TCX and see how it feels. Maybe I'll have to come up with a rodent test to see which rod can handle them the best! I'll bet you could cast a small piece of bread into a prairie dog colony and have a good time. Hey, some people love to chase Carp, what's the difference?