14 June, 2007

Winston today announced the upcoming release dates for the World Premieres of the next three movies in its celebrated “Winston Stories” short film series found on The Winston Channel at winstonrods.com. The movies will premiere on the 1st day of the month for the next three months, with additional movies to follow.

World Premiere on July 1st – Latham’s Steelhead, after repeatedly hooking but losing several Steelhead while others around him succeed, Latham struggles to reel a big one in on the last cast of the trip… shot in High Definition in British Columbia in October on the Skeena River system.

Recently Released

June 1st – Andreas is King, a dramatic new movie about an unexpected catch while steelhead fishing in British Columbia.

Winston Stories

These are the latest installments in a series of short films playfully documenting celebrating the love of flyfishing following an eclectic group of friends with varying skill levels as they travel to different parts of the world in pursuit of freshwater and saltwater fish. In addition to this “Winston Stories” short film series, Winston’s new multimedia website includes information about Winston rods, casting clinics, an active users forum where you can chat with other anglers, as well over 20 new instructional movies on flycasting and flyfishing techniques, tours of the Winston museum and the graphite and bamboo rodbuilding processes.

FlyFishingMovies.com

Flyfishingmovies.com is the world ‘s first website dedicated exclusively to broadcasting your fly fishing movies. Visitors can watch flyfishing movies and post their own movies and win prizes.

New movie submissions are still being accepted through June 30, 2007 for the first festival period with winners receiving over $1,000 in prizes.

THE PRIZES:

The Golden Trout: A grand prize of $1,000 in Winston rods, accessories, etc. (of the winner’s choice) will be awarded to the best film overall.

The Silver Trout: A Winston graphite rod (of the winner’s choice) will be awarded to the top film in each of the freshwater and saltwater categories (two winners).

The Bronze Trout: $100 in Winston accessories (of the winner’s choice) will be awarded to the best film in each of the freshwater and saltwater categories (two winners).

Special Awards:

Conservation Prize. When the Jury deems it appropriate, it will present a special award for the “best conservation film” submitted during a festival period.

Certificate of Distinction. When the Jury deems it appropriate, it will present a special certificate of merit for a particularly noteworthy film submitted during a festival period.

THE JURY: The Jury is comprised of Chad Oman, President of Production of Jerry Bruckheimer Films; Steve Ransohoff, President of Film Finances, and James Prosek, renowned artist, writer and filmmaker.

ENTER TODAY! Two weeks still remain, so there’s plenty of time to enter the Festival. Simply logon to flyfishingmovies.com and follow the instructions. In most cases, movies can be uploaded immediately

17 May, 2007

The R.L. Winston Rod Co. is excited to announce the 2007 Cast a Winston Contest! Cast a Winston at the best place possible – your local Specialty Fly Shop. Experience the unparalleled performance and quality of Winston, get expert advice from your dealer, and the chance to enter the Cast a Winston Contest.

4 CHANCES TO WIN! Grand Prize is 6 Winston Rods – 1 Boron IIx freshwater, 1 Boron IIx saltwater, 1 LT 5 piece, 1 WT, 1 Vapor and 1 Ascent. In addition, one 1st place Boron IIx, one 2nd place Vapor and one 3rd place Ascent will be awarded to winners in 10 U.S. and Canadian regions.

Winston received thousands of entries in the 2006 contest, and David Trevathan was declared the lucky Grand Prize Winner last January. We are expecting an even greater response this year – so hurry to your authorized Winston Dealer and ask to enter the CAST A WINSTON CONTEST!

CONTEST RULES: No purchase necessary. A purchase will not improve chances of winning. Contest void where prohibited by law. One entry per person. All entries must be received by December 31, 2007. To enter the Cast a Winston Contest, you must go to your authorized R.L. Winston Rod Co. Dealer and cast any Winston rod. Complete the entry card and mail it back to Winston. Chances of winning determined by number of entrants. Duplicate entries will be discarded. Incomplete entries will be disqualified. Employees of Winston Rod and employees of authorized Winston dealers and their families are not eligible to enter. To be eligible to win, entrants must be U.S. or Canadian citizens and be at least 18 years of age. Winners will be selected in a random drawing after December 31, 2007. Winners will be announced on the Winston website, www.winstonrods.com.

If you purchase a new Winston Rod after Casting a Winston, send in your completed entry card along with your warranty card and receive a coupon worth 40% off up to $200 in Winston accessories.

9 April, 2007

Today, Winston announced the first winners of its www.flyfishingmovies.com Film Festival for the interim period ending March 15, 2007.One of the three jurors, Steve Ransohoff, President of Film Finances, the leading film completion bond company for independent films said, “I was incredibly surprised by the quality of the movies. They far exceeded my expectations. Obviously a great deal of time and effort went into making the movies. There are clearly some talented filmmakers out there and it’s exciting to see them pouring their energies into making compelling flyfishing movies.”

In the Freshwater category, the 1st place winner is “Reel Time,” submitted by Double Haul productions from Toronto, Canada. 2nd place goes to “AK 2005″ submitted by Capt. Andy Parker of Charleston, South Carolina and 3rd place goes to “Vandalia Angler” submitted by Philip Smith of Sissonville, West Virginia.

In the Saltwater category, the 1st place winner is “Redfish” submitted by Dany Hernandez of Jacksonville, Florida.

The filmmakers of the two first place winners, Reel Time and Redfish, will receive $100 in Winston accessories. All four films will now also appear in the Festival Favorites on flyfishingmovies.com. These interim winners will also remain eligible to compete in the 1st official Festival period ending June 30, 2007.

Prizes for the 1st official Festival period will be as follows:

The Golden Trout – A grand prize of $1,000 in Winston rods, accessories, etc. (of the winner’s choice) will be awarded to the best film overall. (one winner)

The Silver Trout – A Winston graphite rod (of the winner’s choice) will be awarded to the top film in each of the freshwater and saltwater categories (two winners).

The Bronze Trout – $100 in Winston accessories (of the winner’s choice) will be awarded to the best film in each of the freshwater and saltwater categories (two winners).

Certificates will also be presented to all winners.

The flyfishingmovies.com jury is comprised of: James Prosek, renowned Artist, Conservationist and Writer. Chad Oman, President of Production, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Steve Ransohoff, President, Film Finances, Inc.

How to enter a flyfishing movie: simply logon to flyfishingmovies.com and follow the instructions. In most cases, movies can be uploaded immediately.

3 April, 2007

The R.L. Winston Rod Company is proud to announce that 23 new educational flyfishing movies are now available to watch on Winston’s new multimedia website. The films were produced by The New Fly Fisher, an educational and instructional flyfishing show, and have been broadcast on Public Television across the U.S. and Canada. All these new movies appear in the Educational Movies section of the Winston Channel found at winstonrods.com.

“These educational films from The New Flyfisher are a tremendous resource for anglers and are our latest step toward creating a fresh and exciting online experience for anyone interested in flyfishing. The new website not only provides information about Winston rods, but an array of educational information about flyfishing, flycasting, an online film festival at flyfishingmovies.com where users can upload their own movies for prizes, conservation issues, and an active forum community,” says Winston owner, David Ondaatje.

The New Fly Fisher is an educational fly fishing television series designed to help novice and veteran anglers alike learn more about this wonderful outdoor activity. Co-produced with the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF), the series is about fly fishing for all species, in all waters in North America. The New Fly Fisher takes a 3 dimensional approach to education: above water instruction, animations to help explain a specific point or tactic, and underwater videography. Each episode is filled with hard facts on everything from aquatic biology to advanced nymphing techniques.

21 May, 2007

Announcing the world premiere of “Andreas is King,” a dramatic new movie about an unexpected catch while steelhead fishing in British Columbia. Several excellent new movies have also been posted on FlyFishingMovies.com and new movie submissions are still being accepted through June 30, 2007 for the first main festival period with winners receiving over $1,000 in prizes.

THE PRIZES:

The Golden Trout: A grand prize of $1,000 in Winston rods, accessories, etc. (of the winner’s choice) will be awarded to the best film overall.

The Silver Trout: A Winston graphite rod (of the winner’s choice) will be awarded to the top film in each of the freshwater and saltwater categories (two winners).

The Bronze Trout: $100 in Winston accessories (of the winner’s choice) will be awarded to the best film in each of the freshwater and saltwater categories (two winners).

Special Awards:

Conservation Prize. When the Jury deems it appropriate, it will present a special award for the “best conservation film” submitted during a festival period.

Certificate of Distinction. When the Jury deems it appropriate, it will present a special certificate of merit for a particularly noteworthy film submitted during a festival period.

THE JURY: The Jury is comprised of Chad Oman, President of Production of Jerry Bruckheimer Films; Steve Ransohoff, President of Film Finances, and James Prosek, renowned artist, writer and filmmaker.

ENTER TODAY! Six weeks still remain, so there’s plenty of time to enter the Festival. Simply logon to FlyFishingMovies.com and follow the instructions. In most cases, movies can be uploaded immediately.

Flyfishingmovies.com is the world’s first website dedicated exclusively to broadcasting your fly fishing movies. Visitors can watch flyfishing movies and post their own movies and win prizes.

Good Luck and have fun @ FlyFishingMovies.com!

7 March, 2007

The R.L. Winston Rod Company today announced the panel of judges for the first flyfishingmovies.com FILM FESTIVAL. The first film festival period has been extended to end June 30, 2007, with interim prizes to be awarded for the top films submitted before March 15. Entries can be easily uploaded on flyfishingmovies.com and the first 100 entries receive a Winston cap.“It’s exciting to see that several high quality short flyfishing films have already been submitted – even before we’ve announced our jury and the prizes.” said Kevin Turman, the Festival Director. “We hope this becomes a forum for any angler, any amateur or professional filmmaker to share their excitement about flyfishing with anglers around the world. The Festival and prizes honor those who put time into celebrating the aspects of flyfishing we all love. This is a fun way for us to share our fishing stories.”

THE JURY – The Jury will initially consist of 3 judges all of whom have significant film and/or artistic knowledge coupled with a passion for flyfishing.

CHAD OMAN, President of Production for Jerry Bruckheimer Films. He has been the Producer or Executive Producer for over 20 movies, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Remember the Titans, Black Hawk Down, National Treasure and Glory Road. Chad has been an avid flyfisherman for the past 30 years since age 12.

STEVE RANSOHOFF, President of Film Finances, Inc., the leading independent film completion bond guarantor. Steve began flyfishing in western Montana over 25 years ago, having learned how to fish on the Beaverhead River in the 1970′s.

JAMES PROSEK, Artist, writer, musician, filmmaker. In addition to being an extraordinarily talented artist and passionate angler, James is a co-founder of World Trout and one of flyfishing’s best-known conservationists.

THE PRIZES – For the first Festival period ending June 30, 2007.

The Golden Trout – A grand prize of $1,000 in Winston rods, accessories, etc. (of the winner’s choice) will be awarded to the best film overall.

The Silver Trout – A Winston graphite rod (of the winner’s choice) will be awarded to the top film in each of the freshwater and saltwater categories (two winners).

The Bronze Trout – $100 in Winston accessories (of the winner’s choice) will be awarded to the best film in each of the freshwater and saltwater categories (two winners).

Special Awards

1. Conservation Prize. When the Jury deems it appropriate, it will present a special award for the “best conservation film” submitted during a festival period.

2. Certificate of Distinction. When the Jury deems it appropriate, it will present a special certificate of merit for a particularly noteworthy film submitted during a festival period.

Interim Prizes – For the interim festival period ending March 15, 2007. The jury will award $100 in Winston accessories (of the winner’s choice) to the best film in each of the freshwater and saltwater categories (two winners). Interim winners will remain eligible for all awards for the 1st festival period ending June 30, 2007.

flyfishingmovies.com is the world’s first website dedicated exclusively to broadcasting your fly fishing movies. Visitors can watch the movies, post their own movies and win prizes. Prizes will be awarded for movies submitted to flyfishingmovies.com Film Festival every 6 months.

The top films will be designated as “Festival Favorites” and will be posted to a special, honorary section of the site. Films submitted by employees and representatives of Winston and their immediate relatives are not eligible for awards/prizes, though they may submit films. Films submitted by the employees and owners of specialty fly shops, including fly shops which may be Winston dealers will be eligible for awards/prizes, though the Jury will afford them no special consideration.

12 February, 2007

Today, the R.L. Winston Rod Company is proud to announce that James Prosek will be advising Winston on how the company can raise awareness for conservation issues.

James and Winston have had an informal association for many years, well before James became an internationally recognized artist and writer. David Ondaatje, Winston Chairman, points out that “In addition to being an extraordinarily talented artist, James is the one of the sport’s leading conservationists. James’ assisting us on conservation issues is first and foremost a statement of shared ideals and a common commitment to preserving fisheries habitat.”

In the coming years, James and Winston will work together to achieve a greater role for Winston in its conservation efforts. “Although we are a small company,” Ondaatje continued, “we believe we can play a greater role in helping shape public awareness about important environmental issues in the years to come. We are very happy that James Prosek will be helping us in this effort.”

James, along with Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia, is a co-founder of World Trout, an on-going conservation effort to preserve native trout species worldwide. Remarking how glad he was to work with Winston to further the efforts of World Trout, James Prosek noted, “preserving diversity of indigenous trout species around the world is also about preserving our last coldwater wildernesses, and arguably our most precious resource, clean water.”

To kick off this new conservation effort, Winston today also announced the following programs to help raise awareness and funds for World Trout:

1. Building on the successful World Trout T-shirt program, Winston will offer two new t-shirts featuring James Prosek illustrations of Rainbow Trout and Bull Trout to help raise funds for Montana trout restoration projects. These T-shirts will be available through any Winston Dealer or online at www.winstonrods.com

2. A new James Prosek “Signed Book Program”. Winston will now offer signed copies of several of James Prosek’s books including: Trout, an Illustrated History and Trout of the World. Part of the proceeds from Winston’s online and Dealer sales of these books will be directed to World Trout.

3. Winston helped sponsor a new short conservation film about World Trout featuring James Prosek by filmmakers Travis Rummel and Ben Smith. The film, World Trout, will appear on the new flyfishingmovies.com section of Winston’s website.