SPECIALSECTION
Business Profile .,:/,/,//////////////////////2
INSIDE THE R. L. WINSTON FLY-RODSHOP
A Feelfor Rod-Buildirg
By Tom Keer
Winston rods have alwayshad a certain 'feel,' rnhich made me a fan. Originally it was becausethe rods had a softer action than others, but now, even with the faster action Boron rods, that sensitivityis still
ucked in the Ruby Vdley benareenthe Tobacco Root, Highland and Pioneer mountain rangesis the town of Twin Bridges,Montana. Lewis and Clark traveled through this valley;later,a small number of trapperstrampedthe gametrails beween the ranges.Cattle rancherswho werethen joined by sheepfarmerseventuallypushedout the trap-
there. That senseof feelirg is an invaluable teachirg tool and, asan angler,adds greadyto my fishing enjoyment. -Joan W"lff
pers.In the 1860s,neighboringVirginia Ciry engineeringfy rods.They push boundaries
attractedprospectorswho learnedthat the hills
Customer-servicemanagerKevin Tirrman is a
wereloadedwith gold and silver.Allegedlythere
passionateanglerand alsoa pastorof a local
Their through researchand experimentation.
still are ghostsin the ghost towns. Nowadays,
church. LeslieClark in marketing raisessorrel
aptitudestoward constant improvementare
life in the 400-persontown ofTwin Bridgesis
and white paint Belgiandraft horses;sheand
no more apparentthan in the culminationof
slow-paced.As visitors arrive, odds are they are
her husbanddrove their teamsin the Oklaho-
the new \Winston Boron rods.
coming to fish the Jefferson,Ruby, Beaverhead
ma Land Racescenein the Tom Cruise/Nicole
The Boron'Way: \X/hile many rod com-
or Big Hole-and they often stop by the R.L. \WinstonRod Company.
Kidman movie Far and Away. Production
panieshave experimentedwith boron, only \Winston stayed with the material long
Everyoneat'Winston not only fishes,but
ManagerJoe Begin fuctuates berweenone of his rwo immaculatelymaintainedmotorcycles.
enough to figure out how to make it work
they also bring a variety of creativeinterests 'When to the company. he's not developing
Cindy Giem, in accounting,spendsher spare
in fly rods. Boron's strength-to-weightra-
time working with her family on their purebred
tios are outstanding, but with the strength
rods, Owner/Chairman David Ondaatje is a
Angus ranch south of town.
came a brittlenessas well as a stiffness.With
filmmaker and photographer and is passion-
The diversepeople
ately involved in product field-testing.Away
who design the rods
from engagementin rod designand overseeing
that so many anglers
company performance,CEO Voody'Woo-
love have a number of
dard takeshis daily walk along the Beaverhead,
distinct similarities.
downhill skis in the winter and plays tennis with his wife in the summer. Chief Rod De-
First, they're process'Whether
oriented.
signerAnnette Mclean hikesin the mountains
they navigatethe straits
with her husband:shet alsoa little bit of a locd
of town politics or re-
celebriryasshesits on the Twin BridgesTown
searchequine genetics,
Council. GayleBegin,materialsmanager,loves
their method of think-
to gardenand play with her grandchildren.
ing bodesperfectlyfor
72 Summer201O
a tremendousamount of time and creative work, the company masteredthe material and the \Winston Boron rod serieswas born. "Our dealers,advisorsand pro staffprovided
has alwaysbeen smooth, progressiveand a delight to cast.Granted we havesomevariations
asto supply us with the highestqualiry and consrrucrionof cork grips available.Our reelseats
within this overalldesignparadigm,but in general, it's an easyaction for beginnersand it's a
an invaluableamounr of insight into the material modifications," saysMclean. "Their
aredesignedto our precisespecificationsaswell. tVhen the raw materialsarrive at our shop,each
great rod for experts,"\Toodard says. 'Winston Throughout its 8l -yearhistory has
is assembled,inspectedand machinedor buffed
outstandingfeedbackwas utilized in the protofypesthat we built. On severaloccasions, we thought we wereclose,and someparrsof those 'We earlier sampleswere correcr. found that some of those early models would casrgrear but theyd only fish okay. Others would cast okay but rh.yd fish great.\fith insightful comments and detailedfeedbackfrom our dealers and pro staffl,we were able to develop superb castingand fishing rods. Vithout their input we probably would have neededa far longer time to bring a completedrod to the marketplace.As our dedersand pro staffspend a grear
asnecessary. I love my job, and my job is mak-
Whenever we're presentedwith new technologies,we revibw rhem with all rouch points in our processro seehow they fit into our specificdesignobjectives. alwayschasedperformance...arrhe right pace. "AIl companieswresdewith the conceptof time," saysLeslieClark. "In an idealworld, rodswould movealongin a standardprocess,and new mod-
ing outstandingrods for our cusromersto enjoy while fishing.\Mhat'sbetter than that?"
elswould be readyfor the marketplacejust as
Ondaatje ensuresthat pillars of J)avid I-r/ qualiry and excellencebehind the Vin-
dealof time on rhe warer,their input is important. And weie very carefulro listen." Creativiry is at the heart of \Winston rod
customershaveoutgrown their favorites.Some companieswork offof a panicular dme line, and
ston brand are upheld throughout the process. "'Wepush boundaries.Ti'ueleadershipis defin-
that approachsatisfiesthe businessdemands, particularly on rhe accounrs-receivable side.But
design."Good rod designis a multi-stepcollaborative processand we've alwaysworked with
the bestway ro build a greatfy rod is to subject all designsand manufacturingtechniquesto
very specificdesign and performance objec-
ing what you wanr and designingto that goal rather than simply going whicheverdirection 'We the wind blows. have help, of course,bur knowing where we're going has always been
time.'We bring our rods to the tablewhen they
important to our success.
tivesrather than cateringto any market trend,"
are ready.\iMhenthey are better than any other
said CEO Voody'Woodard. "\(/e are always on the lookout for new materids.A lot of new
rod out there,including many of our own, after
"As a steward of the \Winston brand, I focus on severalcompany cornerstones.Ex-
materialsrecenrlyhave come out of military applicationsand technology.Think about the nano-technologythat enjoyeda brief lifespan. Or thermoplasticresins.Or ceramic.Those technologieshad a very short shelflife, and no one hearsabout them much any more. Vheneverwete presentedwith new technologies,we reviewthem with all touch points in our processto seehow they fit into our specificdesign objectives.By working through the processas a group we work asa true team, one that has a built in mechanismof checksand bdances.'We look for technologiesthat have sustainabiliry
all the bugsare ironed our, rhen we'll sell them.
cellenceof our product acrossall fronts, from designto manufacturingto distribution.Satisfaction. Regardlessof one's passionand
Many times we have to resistthe urge to rush them, but in the end, patiencealwayswins our." "On the manufacturingside,we take our time,
pastime,nothing makesfor a more satis$'ing
aswell," saysJoe Begin. "'We make sureall pat-
experiencethan having proper equipment
terns are cut perfectly, and alwayslook at our processto determine how we can do it bet-
that enablesone to thoroughly enjoy all of the diverseparts of the activity. Innovation.
ter, not faster.Our finish is a perfectexample. 'W'e went through a number of processesover a few years ro perfect our unique \Winston greencolor. And then when we gor the color
The purposeof innovation is to expandand enhance.'Wepush boundaries.Alfred, Lord Tennysonsaid it best: 'To strive, ro seek,to find, and nor ro yield.''Whenwe hit a con-
right, we shifted our focuson the finish, making it as durable and as beautiful as possible.
sensusamong our internal design team, dealersand guides, we then push hard to
There has been no need to changeblank colors for marketing reasons.All of our customers
castingand fishing fy rods possible. "Our customers,which meansour dealers, guidesand fishermen,help to determine the
posesand accuracy,"Begin continues."Our cork originally was hand-pounded and then turned, and recently we worked with our sup-
tweak and modifr. The beauty and esthetic found in \Winston products offers rranscen.We dence in fishing. build rods that offer a higher level of enjoyment. "It takes more time, it costsmore and it 'We certainly takesmore patience. don't look at a right or a wrong way to make a product. \Wejust make it the Vinston way," Ondaatje
expectations of our rods.The'sfinston acrion
plier who willingly redesignedtheir processso
sumsup. I
and, though it hasinvolved a little extra invesrment and designtime, boron continuesto fit the bill perfectly.Our processis simple-it's drivenby our tirelessfocus on creatingthe best
love our finish just as it is. Our greenfinish is part of the'S7instonbrand,our mark of quality. "All wrappers wind by hand for qualiry pur-
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