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Winston Fishing Rod Workers Quit

The four workers who build bamboo fly rods at the R.L. Winston Rod Co. in Twin Bridges have resigned in protest over a dispute with management.

Glenn Brackett, Jerry Kustich, Wayne Maca and Jeff Walker - all workers at Winston's bamboo shop - said they will be done by Feb. 1.

Brackett, a former co-owner of the company who has built bamboo fishing rods for 33 years, said he felt compelled to quit after CEO Woody Woodard rejected a candidate chosen by Brackett to learn the craft of bamboo rod building and carry on the company's tradition.

The exodus of the entire bamboo staff is another sign that Winston is putting profit ahead of quality, Brackett said.

And couching it in emotional terms, Brackett said the loss of 80 years of bamboo rod building experience between the staff marks the end of an era for the 76-year-old company.

"Winston's good name in the marketplace is definitely going to suffer from this," he said. "There's no other company that has been able to offer what Winston has been able to offer over the years." But Woodard said that while the resignations came as a surprise and are regrettable, Winston will continue to make the best bamboo fly rods in the industry. The company has already moved two of its graphite rod makers into the bamboo shop and Brackett has been training them.

"Our goal is to continue to build the best bamboo rods in the world right here in Twin Bridges," Woodard said. "Our production manager here has stepped up and is taking the responsibility for that department." Winston has made bamboo fishing rods since the company's beginning in California in 1929. It moved to Twin Bridges in 1976 and today sells 90 bamboo rods a year for between $2,750 and $3,000. However, the bulk of Winston's sales are graphite fly rods; the company employs just under 100 people total.

Brackett, 65, said when Walker announced he planned to leave within a couple years, it was time to find a replacement who could eventually take over the bamboo shop. But after selecting an apprentice and having him ready to move to Twin Bridges, Woodard overrode the decision.

That was a sign that Woodard wanted him to leave, Brackett said, because he was vocal in the press when the company decided to start outsourcing production of lower-end rods to China.

Kustich said Woodard is a "bean counter" whose engineering and business background is hurting Winston because he does not appreciate the history of fly fishing.

The shop was making money because clients were willing to pay top dollar for bamboo rods built by a craftsman, he said.

But that's still what customers will get, Woodard said.

While it will take some time to get people up to speed, Woodard said the people taking over the shop have experience building graphite rods and are excited to learn about working with bamboo.

"We're still going to make them the same way," he said.

Maca, however, said it's unrealistic to assume that people can pick up the skill so quickly. Winston is suffering from a corporate profit-squeezing mentality that is eroding the quality of its products, he said.

"They do not seem to understand that you do not simply walk in the door and learn to build bamboo rods," Maca said. "To flat say that we're uncompromising when it comes to quality is absolutely ridiculous." Continue to learn more about fishing, please visit Montana Standard.

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