Winston Boron IIX and Orvis T3 opinions

[Guy]

I am seriously considering a lifetime membership in TUC (Trout Unlimited Canada). To sweeten the pot, TUC is including a 4 piece 9 foot Winston Boron IIX or a 4 piece 9 foot Orvis T3 in your choice of 4, 6 or 8 wt rods.

I am thinking maybe an 8 wt for bones or perhaps a 4 for trout. I live about 3 1/2 hours from any kind of hands on wiggling of these rods so I likely will have to choose sight unseen. I am curious as to what opinions board members might have on these rods.

Thanks for any and all replies.

Guy

[RoyC]

The Winston BIIX is by far the superior of the rod choices you have. I have 6 BIIX rods of my own and they are great. For trout fishing, especially dry flies, I love the 9' 4 wt BIIX. You can not go wrong with the Winston green stick.

RoyC

[LigonierA1]

I'll offer my opinion as I have experience with both rods. My experience is that the BIIx will be lighter in hand and very capable, a delightful rod but more of a "trouty" 8wt- not quite as capable in the 8wt realm as the T3. It's a fine rod for most things that involve a floating line but if you want to cast sinking heads, big deerhair bugs or very weighted sculpins, I'd opt for the T3.

About 18 months ago, a buddy that works at an Orvis dealer got us all together for an 8wt shootout including the BIIx, T3, Scott S3,( and something else that I can't recall). I could have lived with any of them. The T3 seemed to be the more powerful of the bunch and would have been my choice for saltwater fishing.

[hutjensmpg]

I have the BIIX in 4 wt for trout, but in the 8' 6" version. I love that rod! It will handle nymphs with a couple of shot if it needs to, but it won't really like it. Where it really excels in my mind is fishing dries and/or a lightly weighted nymph on it's own for shotgunning riffle type stuff. It will make nice short little casts and also reach out there if needed. I had several 4 weights before, and I would always reach for this one, so I sold the others.

I haven't cast the T3 specifically, but it seems like every Orvis rod I've ever cast has a 'heavy' tip, meaning more weight out front. I didn't enjoy fishing them all day. Last fall I cast a friends Zero G and it also felt that way. But some people love them, I'm just not an Orvis guy.

So I'd have to say that in your situation, I get the 4 wt BIIX and some other, better 8wt.

[LigonierA1]

I would agree with RoyC that the BIIx is a superior rod to the T3, especially at the trout level. But the T3 is a workhorse, a solid, well done rod and very capable. Not as sensitive or light but more capable of "work". I owned a few T3s and eventually sold them but I enjoyed them all and NEVER broke one, which is more than I can say for any other brand name that I've fished. What can I say, I'm clumsy and determined and my rods/reels pay the price....

[beigefoot]

I used a T3 when I had my BIIx in at Winston getting a bead head hit repaired, and it was a nice overall rod. But I found that my BIIx was more responsive and seemed to throw farther than the T3. I however recommend the BIImx, I just bought a 6WT and the darn rod is a cannon in the wind. It still has the responsive feel of the IIx, with the added benefit of being able to slam line through windy conditions.