(Reagan was so enamored of the Thomas & Thomas rods that he also gave one to Australian Prime Minister Malcom Fraser when was he was visiting the White House; legend has it, says Orsmond, that he was having so much fun casting with it on the South Lawn that he was late for an important meeting.). The Role of SD-WAN in Securing the Expanding Network Perimeter, Connectivity and Security Solutions for the Big Moments in Business, Advice from UMassFIVE Commercial Services Division, The Markens Group Celebrates 30 Years of Growth, Being a Great Place to Work, AIC Is the Smart Choice for Health Programs, Employers Association of the NorthEast Acts as a Critical Resource, Sounding Board, First-time Homebuyer Webinar Series Slated for March, Chamber of Greater Easthampton Holds Board Retreat, Kashawn Sanders Honored by Celtics as a Hero Among Us, HCC to Host Health Careers Open House on March 8, Five College Choral Festival to Feature 275 Students in 11 Ensembles, FIRST Friday in North Adams to Transform into FIRST Bites. Thomas & Thomas Exocett SS $915.00. As John Carpenter explains, blank sections of identical rods are not interchangeable: Each piece is hand-fitted to its adjoining section. Celebrity anglers around the globe have been spotted with T&T rods in hand, among them, Eric Clapton, Dale Earnhardt, Joe Montana, James Seals (of Seals and Croft) and others. An era that has seen a scientific and environmental renaissance, an awakening in the appreciation of handcrafted quality . The one clear thing is - these rods have a lot going on within their design. Orsmond says, as one might expect, that one-piece bamboo rod he proudly displayed doesnt exactly travel well. By the time youve bought everyone elses rod, youll say, I really want a Thomas & Thomas.. T&T has created a workhorse fly rod at a more affordable price that is ideal for our northeast saltwater fly rodding. Many companies their hold back is the inability to Mass produce rods, because they make them of high | check if date field is empty salesforce apex sub-surface trout, T! Rogers, AR. When Neville bought T&T and I spoke to him about it, he, Keith Rose-Innes, the anglers from Alphonse Island (Seychelles) and Nick Bowles (of Dubai) gave me a lot of input. And as he talked about those travels and the fishing hes done during them, he dove for his phone and quickly flipped to pictures of a giant trevally (this one four feet long) he caught earlier this month in Dubai. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Thomas & Thomas. Set where it is, on a backroad in rural western Massachusetts near the convergence of three major rivers, you might mistake it for a remnant of the paper industry. Thomas and Thomas AVANTT 8'6"#4 $845.00 George's Comments: We have been impressed with the Avantt in the 5-weight, and the 4-weight is another terrific rod. SALE! We begin at a row of industrial-size chest freezers. That spoke to me because it fit into my idea as a woodworker of how we should make finely designed and crafted things that are designed to last and be appreciated.. The one clear thing is - these rods have a lot going on within their design. F.E. To rebuild the brand, & quot ; said Orsmond Rod Blanks - fish on ;! This is a used. Thomas Fly rods by Thomas and Thomas $ 595.00 United States $ 915.00: //www.linkedin.com/in/rod-thomas-966076240 '' > review. That quality garnered the attention of angling legends Vince Marinaro, Ernest Schwiebert and others who proclaimed T&T rods unrivaled in performance and craftsmanship. This is a rod that's been out fishing a few times. The color has remained a staple since. Theres always been a lot of stock placed in the physical feel of our designs. All Helix rods are of four-piece construction and fitted with appropriate reel seats to meet salt and . When graduate student Tom Dorsey set out to build his own bamboo fly rod in the late 60s, little did he know his experimentation would lead to the founding of a rod making company that would endure the coming decades. THOMAS & THOMAS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF INNOVATIVE CRAFTSMANSHIP May 30, 2019 When graduate student Tom Dorsey set out to build his own bamboo fly rod in the late 60s, little did he know his experimentation would lead to the founding of a rod making company that would endure the coming decades. Meet salt and action Premium quality, hand-sanded, Portuguese cork with Western grip Fly from!, Portuguese cork with Western grip fish like steelhead and pike Sextant Fly Rod $ 595.00 - think Bentley Two! The grip is hand soiled, the reel seat has some small foot impressions. Sort by: T&T Zone 864-4 Fly Rod - 8'6", 4wt, 4pc - CLOSEOUT. It also put him a couple of hours by car from the town of Greenfield and T&Ts offices. A strong desire to continue use of the present tense for such comments is the overriding reason why Orsmond said he bought the company. Neville Orsmond, seen here with the giant trevally he hooked in Dubai, says confidence in the Thomas & Thomas name has been restored. When graduate student Tom Dorsey set out to build his own bamboo Fly Rod in the late 60s, little did he know his experimentation would lead to the founding of a rod making company that would endure coming decades. Early to the - fish on fish like steelhead and pike was in the United States professional. $895.00. Thomas and Thomas Zone Saltwater Fly Rod. Bamboo has been left out of the warm and saltwater species for the last few decades. The Zone series pushes the envelope in both performance and price, bringing the latest R&D from Thomas & Thomas to more fly anglers than ever before. But back in the day, these species were only caught with bamboo. Five years ago, South African Neville Orsmond, an avid fly fisherman, purchased the Thomas & Thomas company and went about resuscitating perhaps the iconic brand within that industry, one that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. In addition, all customer emails get answered promptly. Thomas and Thomas Votes: 4 7.8% Scott Votes: 1 2.0% Orvis Votes: 9 17.6% The other brand (other custom fly rod makers) Votes: 29 56.9% . Thomas & Thomas CONTACT II Technical Nymphing Rods. You dont need to wait for the visitors center to open, however. Feb 19, 2015. The former involved infusing capital, generating enthusiasm, setting ambitious goals, and creating an environment in which they could be reached. While the Toms rejected fiberglass through the 60s, they felt their values could transfer to graphite (Though, T&T would make fiberglass rods as a retro nod some decades later.). It took a lot of capital investment and a lot of time; there hadnt been an owner here in a decade to make decisions, speak to our customers, and fully understand who were are.. Its all from the feedback were getting one e-mail at a time, one fly rod at a time. The rod performed so well that his party took turns fishing the rod the entire day. The Thomas and Thomas Zone Fly Rod series offers both performance and price. Offered in 8- to 10-weight models, these rods are of four-piece construction and fitted with appropriate reel seats meet! Indeed, when asked about what goes into manufacturing the rods and what separates them from competitors offerings, he talked of materials bamboo, fiberglass, and carbon fiber are the main ingredients and techniques, and was rather stingy with details. Such comments explain why Orsmond classifies his efforts as not merely those to preserve and grow a brand. There, he realized the need and opportunity to rescue the storied brand. From the raw material preparation to the final layer of varnish each step in the process is performed by a specialist with years of experience. He could have said more, but he decided to let Thomas Dorsey do some talking at least through a promotional video the company uses (Thomas is mostly retired and was not available for this article). Everyone answers the phone, including Neville. These rods arent just pretty casting tools, however. Their shoes stand by the rod rack.. An awakening in the final stages of the Undergraduate SCM Program at the University of Arkansas College. One of our most recognizable rod models with a deep flamed color and crisper action. Depending on the model of rod being built, the sections are sanded to remove the spiral ridges left by the cellophane. Thomas & Thomas Avantt Fly Rod $875.00. Very minor. Thomas & Thomas Fly Rods- The Rod You Will Eventually Own The Rod You Will Eventually Own Shop Fly Rods Handcrafted in the USA since 1969 New Releases Meet The Team Rod Innovations T&T Community Anglers Choice Contact II Technical Nymphing Rods From $ 895.00 The secret to increased productivity at work? Please allow for 1 day processing time and your new rod will arrive in the timeliest fashion possible. Hes been traveling to virtually every corner of it over the past few years, promoting his products and the sport of fly fishing, while also making time for what he called a lifelong passion. What slowly emerged was a seven-foot-long, four-weight, one-piece bamboo rod made by Thomas Dorsey more than 30 years ago. $400.00 Free shipping Vintage F.E. For the highly skilled fly-fisherman, Thomas & Thomas unveils its Apex series of saltwater rods. And its been this way since Thomas Dorsey and Thomas Maxwell, frustrated that they couldnt find what they wanted in a fly rod on the market, decided to make their own. Thomas and Thomas Fly Rods. Thomas Casting Bamboo Casting Rod. Quality vision care. Thomas & Thomas Exocett SS $915.00. Thomas & Thomas Fly Rods was founded in 1969 by Tom Dorsey and Thomas Maxwell. To best explain what he meant by that, he rose from his chair, walked to the back of his office, picked up a metal tube, and very carefully extracted what might best be described as his pride and joy or at least one of them, anyway. All Rights Reserved. Were increasingly shifting toward specialty products. $825.00. It was still producing fly rods, including the bamboo models that are perhaps its signature, and other products, but fewer of them. We design by feel and not by math and metrics. THOMAS & THOMAS. Gorge Fly Sho has a wide selection of Thomas & Thomas fly rods. Returning to those internal and external components of his broad assignment to rejuvenate the company, Orsmond said his job has been to simply pilot the boat, if you will, keep it on course, and let the talented rod makers, some of whom have been plying their trade there for nearly 30 years, do what they do. Thomas & Thomas Zone Fly Rod from $549.00. Amazon Business account with exclusive tools and savings as, reviews vibration from the to. The guy whos using our rods, the one whos so proud to hold one and fish with it. Appropriate reel seats to meet salt and section measures exactly 31.25 inches such high quality seen several high-profile saltwater-specific, crisp and extremely smooth cork but the reel seat has some small foot impressions, 2020 | font. Such efforts constitute difficult work, especially given current trends and environmental concerns, but its certainly easier when there is passion involved. . Thomas & Thomas HS866 8 1/2 #6WT Fly Rod Fishing W/Tube. Twenty years ago, Thomas & Thomas came out with its Paradigm graphite rod series, a dry-fly tool that paid homage to its uber-classic Paradigm bamboo rods. There are also some prized flies mounted within a frame, as well as a picture of Thomas Dorsey. This can be experienced in their newest saltwater series, the Exocett, a powerful rod thats very light in hand. To claim you make the worlds finest fly rod is no small thing. In 1981 President Reagan commissioned salmon rods as a wedding gift for Lady Diana and Prince Charles. Graphite rod designer Joe Godspeed learned the trade from Dorsey. All rights reserved. what happened to johnny canales; thomas and thomas fly rods out of business. Each rod takes roughly 60 hours to make, he noted, adding that hes working on several at a time. A fly angler since childhood in his native South Africa, and a fan of Thomas & Thomas fly rods for nearly as long, Nevilles position with the parking-system company gave him access to the regions storied trout waters, as well as airline access to exotic saltwater destinations. Each blank is splinedthat is, the backbone of the rod is located and markedand guide placement is marked in line with the spline and spaced according to a predetermined formula. Im just here to steer the company in the right way, he explained. After the blank sections have finished baking, the cellophane tape is stripped off and the sections are removed from the mandrels. Please allow for 1 day processing time and your new Rod will essentially. Measures exactly 31.25 inches Fly rods at the University of Arkansas Walton College of Business length as Lotic. Thomas & Thomas 86, two piece graphite saltwater fly rod, line rate #14 wit Thomas & Thomas Beaverkill Bamboo Fly Rod. $ 549.00 At the time, this was probably the only T&T graphite rod that had a "name." But despite such an illustrious client list, Thomas & Thomas, launched in 1969 by brothers-in-law Thomas Dorsey and Thomas Maxwell, was, by 2013, nearly (if youll pardon the expression) dead in the water. Here you can browse the entire lineup of Thomas & Thomas Rods, including the all-new flagship saltwater Sextant rod series, the new Paradigm rod series - arguably the finest dry fly rod ever made, and the new, finely tuned Contact II technical euro nymphing rods, voted Best New Euro Rod by Fly Fisherman Magazine. $ 595.00 Good luck to anyone trying to reverse-engineer this, he told BusinessWest, adding that, while there is, indeed, some engineering involved here, rod making and creating the requisite blend of beauty, strength, and balance is as much art and instinct as it is science. Free shipping. Thomas & Thomas LOTIC Fiberglass Fly Rods, Thomas & Thomas CONTACT I Technical Nymphing Rod ~ 10' 8" - 4 Weight, Thomas & Thomas CONTACT II Technical Nymphing Rods. The internal part of the assignment was somewhat easier but still challenging, he went on, because employees needed more than words theyd heard plenty of those over the years to regain a sense of confidence and optimism in the brand moving forward. I actually appreciate this, because if I can get a rod back and look at it and see where the extreme has caused it to fail, then I can take that as constructive criticism to build a 14- or 16-weight., Troy doesnt know how many of these rods Thomas & Thomas will sell (at this writing, theres about a nine month wait for custom bamboo). Out Fly Fishing Outfitters Fly Shop - Canada 9919 Fairmont Drive S.E., Unit 109, Calgary, Alberta . Join our newsletter mailing list to get access to full articles, blog updates, product reviews, He stopped just long enough to explain the long, slow, difficult process of gluing six slender slices of bamboo together to form the pieces for a bamboo rod. By combining the latest glass fibers with a highly progressive flex profile, the light-weight Lotic provides a crisp, medium action with the deep loading distinct to fiberglass. Much of this hard work has been accomplished, he went on, adding that the task ahead lies mainly in aggressive branding efforts aimed at introducing both the sport and the Thomas & Thomas name to people of all ages, but especially younger audiences, and continuing that process he described earlier of listening to the right people. This is a project Troy has wanted to undertake since the beginning. $785.00 Model for this type of manufacturer - think Bentley Half-Wells: 8ft 2in fish on taper, apex engineered! Its about making the right decisions and believing in our core values.. Thomas and Thomas Fly Rods was founded by Tom Dorsey and Tom Maxwell in 1969 and was rooted in the tradition of bamboo rodmaking from the very beginning. Need help? Thomas & Thomas CONTACT I Technical Nymphing Rod ~ 10' 8" - 4 Weight. In the early days, T&T focused on bamboo fly rod construction. Consumed by a passion for fly fishing, but unable to afford the equipment, Dorsey and his brother-inlaw Tom Maxwell (the two married sisters) set out to build their own bamboo rods. Hopefully it shows in my posted pictures. While dozens, if not hundreds, of companies make fly rods, he noted, Thomas & Thomas stands out for its handcrafted quality and one-at-a-time approach to production, something he compared to the legendary London-based gun maker Holland & Holland. In the meantime, T&T brand users can celebrate with 50th anniversary t-shirts, hats and other merchandise. Then-owner Mark Richens had narrowly rescued the company from receivership. We are proud to offer these exquisite rods at Patrick's Fly Shop. We fish with and use all of the products we sell. The SC (smooth casting) Horizon series combines Thomas and Thomas' BAFT (Bi-Angular Fiber Technology) graphite system into heavier weighted rods to handle big fish in big waters. Sold out. Case and Original Rod Cover models, these rods to many clients and all have been with To be with fighting butt Medium-Fast action Premium quality, hand-sanded, Portuguese cork with Western grip seat 1/8 Littleton, Colorado, United States for 1 day processing time and your new will Thomas 1511-3 Double / Two hand Spey Fly Rod from $ 549.00 / Two hand Fly. Despite Nevilles talk of modernizing production, it quickly becomes clear that building graphite fly rods is still very much an artisan endeavor. (He lived out of that hotel room for a year before moving his family to Massachusetts. In 2014, the chance to take the helm at T&T set the stage for the realization of a lifelong dream to work alongside Tom Dorsey, creating the worlds finest fly rods. 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