In fact, thats how he came to possess it; the previous owner was frustrated with its lack of portability. The cut sections of graphite composite (known in the industry as, The tape-wrapped blank sections are now ready for curing. Stop by these shops for advice on rods, flies, and local fishing expertise. As the company evolves, its appealing to an entirely new kind of destination angler. In a word, the Sextant is the embodiment of design with a purpose: a rod made for fishing as well as casting. Thomas and Thomas rods are built in the USA and are among the finest companies in the fly fishing world. After the blank sections have finished baking, the cellophane tape is stripped off and the sections are removed from the mandrels. 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). 9 1/2' 3/2. 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. Lets save the bamboo room for last, advises John Carpenter, T&Ts Operations Manager, who serves as our tour guide. Whether crafting graphite, fiberglass or bamboo rods, Dorsey emphasized that the T&T process does not adhere to strict formulas produced by engineering software, but rather, good old fashioned casting and hand-craftsmanship, a tedious, but rewarding task, which I view as an empirical process, more akin to the culinary arts than science. 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. Its all from the feedback were getting one e-mail at a time, one fly rod at a time. This is not a sport, its a lifestyle, he said of fly fishing before using one of many versions of a phrase used to drive home the point that one doesnt actually have to catch any fish to enjoy this activity. Rather, it simply lacked the resources and leadership needed to continue doing business as it had historically. A lot goes into crafting a bamboo fly rod and here you can learn more about our approach. An awakening in the final stages of the Undergraduate SCM Program at the University of Arkansas College. This is a really unbelievable fly rod, he said while admiring it again. 2023 Spinoza Rod Company. 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. It was definitely going to go under, and it wasnt going to be resurrected.. Thomas Special Bamboo Fly Rod. Nevertheless, Thomas & Thomas is the latest major rod manufacturer to get in on the action with their latest saltwater rod, the Sextant. 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.). To rebuild the brand, & quot ; said Orsmond Rod Blanks - fish on ;! And they would be joined by many others over the ensuing decades. Such efforts constitute difficult work, especially given current trends and environmental concerns, but its certainly easier when there is passion involved. Thomas and Thomas Contact II Nymph Rods. We are proud to offer these exquisite rods at Patrick's Fly Shop. 5.0 out of 5 stars. From there, he developed the tarpon rod, an 8 5 12-wt., two-piece designed to push through wind, hold a long line in the air and fight tarpon and other species. All Helix rods are of four-piece construction and fitted with appropriate reel seats to meet salt and . The business originally began in Pennsylvania, in a rented cabin on the banks of a limestone stream. Were increasingly shifting toward specialty products. The story goes that a rod-making outfit in the Greenfield area went out of business, and the two Thomases bought the equipment. Thomas & Thomas 86, two piece graphite saltwater fly rod, line rate #14 wit Thomas & Thomas Beaverkill Bamboo Fly Rod. The former involved infusing capital, generating enthusiasm, setting ambitious goals, and creating an environment in which they could be reached. 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. A 8 1/2 foot 5 weight 4 piece ultra-sure trajectories, they also today! Taxes and shipping calculated at checkout, Browse our bamboo fly rods in stock and available now, Browse our collection of reels in stock and available now. Thomas & Thomas Exocett SS $915.00. $825.00. Canada. We have all these great trout steams around us the Deerfield River, the Swift River, and many more, he explained. Then-owner Mark Richens had narrowly rescued the company from receivership. Troy learned his craft first under the guidance of company cofounder Tom Dorsey, and later under the mentorship of the late British rod-making legend Tom Moran, who, according to Dorsey, stood above and beyond any I have met. When Moran returned to England in 1995, all bamboo rod production passed to Troy. $ 549.00 At the time, this was probably the only T&T graphite rod that had a "name." Individualist, the Sans Pareil, the Contact, the Sans Pareil, thomas and thomas fly rods out of business II., unbiased review written by Joseph Ballarini, Editor-in-Chief of Tail Fly fishing Magazine how many anglers for. $895.00. But by 2008, a combination of factors, especially the Great Recession and its impact on discretionary spending (and a $1,000 fly rod would certainly fit that description) and largely absentee ownership put the company in dangerous whitewater. Those combined factors have come together to grow the brand and the sales volume reflects those efforts. 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. Thomas & Thomas Lotic Fly Rod $595.00. Thomas & Thomas PARADIGM Fly Rods. He then progressed to a prototype 9-wt, 8 3, two-piece rod. "It's been a collaborative process to rebuild the brand," said Orsmond. 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. I dont want to hear it ring four times, he says. Sharing the advanced StratoTherm resin Don't miss out. I didnt want to let that happen, he said, adding that, while there is still considerable work to do, the ship has been righted, and the brand has been re-energized, as evidenced by the current seven-month waiting time for a bamboo rod. Sold out. Gorge Fly Sho has a wide selection of Thomas & Thomas fly rods. ), whereby the company underwent a cycle of ups and downs. Supplied with original protective tube and cloth bag. Contact II blank construction utilizes five different types of premium quality carbon and fiberglass fibers, bound together by our proprietary aerospace resin system. It has more feel, and it can water-load a longer line than graphite can.. Tom Maxwell, one of the two Thomas's past away . The iconic brand had suffered through a number of ownerships and poor business decisions, the credit crisis of 2008, and bad management. Orsmonds aim was to infuse the company with new enthusiasm and ambition around the companys goals and marketing. Mark Aroner (Spinoza Rod Company-MA) I've heard some good things, If you like updates on Leonard tapers, I've heard he takes them to a different level. If we grow things out of proportion, well find ourselves with a different set of problems. THE ULTIMATE PRESENTATION ROD. Troy keeps reminders of his mentors in the bamboo shop: To this day, I still use a lot of Tom Morans techniques. Thomas Special Bamboo Fly Fishing Rod. The CONTACT 2 series fly rods are highly specialized long nymphing instruments that fish with ease in any of several Euro and Czech styles.All models in stock are downlocking, please request uplocking seat if you would like that style. The enthusiasm with which he did so spoke volumes about the sport itself, but also why Orsmond is now signing the paychecks at Thomas & Thomas, why there is that wait time for an order, and why optimism abounds at the company. Because Dorsey was an early adopter of two-handed casting, T&T built some of the first graphite spey rods on the American market. The following marketing description (and the picture above) were taken from the T&T website, courtesy of Thomas & Thomas. Due to Covid-19 allow for 1 day processing time and your new Rod of. For those purists who delight in a rod which allows them to virtually "paint" the fly on the water, we have created . To achieve consistency in the finished product, a computer-controlled convection oven heats the blank sections in a series of stepsthat is, various temperatures for precise lengths of time. All three rods shared a recognizable smooth, transitionless loading, and powerful, precise delivery to overcome wind and the complexities of moving tides, targets, and the boat. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Painstaking though the process isand youre getting the abridged versionthis is whats required to produce superior graphite fly rods for the demanding modern market. This can be experienced in their newest saltwater series, the Exocett, a powerful rod thats very light in hand. Its very, very difficult to make a one-piece there just arent many people in the world who can do it; everything is hand-made.. Feb 19, 2015. Seems pretty contrasting, but these rods pull it off. Gescometal. "Presidents have commissioned rods from T&T to give to heads of state and royalty. The Helix series of Thomas and Thomas fly rods incorporate T&T's BAFT graphite system, which enables the design of fly rods with increased strength, power and lightness. That quality garnered the attention of angling legends Vince Marinaro, Ernest Schwiebert and others who proclaimed T&T rods unrivaled in performance and craftsmanship. The guy whos using our rods, the one whos so proud to hold one and fish with it. By the early 1990s, Thomas & Thomas had 30-plus full-time employees who turned out more than 10,000 rods per year for the world market, including graphite rocket launchers for the burgeoning saltwater game. Now the blank is ready to have the guides wrapped on. Depending on the model $375 is a great price. Its our job to continue to evolve and improve, to build up and care for our anglers and fishery resources through conservation. Four piece Fly Rod $ 595.00 College thomas and thomas fly rods out of business Business date field is empty salesforce apex every Find answers in product info, Q & amp ; Thomas Sextant Fly Rod $ 875.00 Rod 875.00! Thomas & Thomas Zone Fly Rod Brand New $549.00 to $595.00 Buy It Now Free shipping Sponsored Thomas & Thomas Zone Fly Rod - 9' - 8wt. Along with angler expertise, T&Ts in-house craftsmen rely on top training. Thomas & Thomas Sextant Fly Rod from $975.00. Today, the company has a wide selection of fly rods for all fishing applications. The Thomas & Thomas story, in many respects, is a direct reflection of nearly a half-century evolution in the fly-fishing industry, a . Old master knowledge paired with a new, trained generation of master rod makers is the foundation of the T&T product line. And T&T bamboo rod maker Troy Jacques learned from Dorsey and Tom Moran. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I have Tom Dorseys too. So instead, they relocated to Turners Falls, Massachusetts, on the Connecticut River. On Feb-11-13 at 06:28:35 PST. Browse our collection of vintage fly boxes and wallets. This focus on the customer extends to all aspects of the business. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. So began Neville Orsmonds apprenticeship in fly rod production. Thats what got me into fly fishing to begin withthe challenge. In 1996 the T&T Horizon series won Best Fly Rod Saltwater and in 2018, the new T&T Zone 9 9wt, 4pc took the same category. As always, they maintained a mantra of form follows function, using the same rules applied to bamboo rod making. Its about making the right decisions and believing in our core values.. Maintaining a strong commitment to an American-made product was also of utmost importance. Tom Dorsey sold T&T in the 80s (Maxwell left in the 70s. C $447.09. These fly rods easily turn over long, fine leaders with accuracy and finesse and are ideally suited to technical trout water. The Thomas & Thomas that Neville Orsmond found when he arrived in Greenfield in 2013 had declined considerably since its glory days. THOMAS & THOMAS. Find answers in product info, Q&As, reviews . Troy shows us a bamboo culm in cross-section, pointing out the power fibers, which lie at the outer edge of the ring, and the inner white pith, which offers nothing to the rod in terms of flex. Thomas & Thomas LOTIC Fiberglass Fly Rods, Thomas & Thomas CONTACT I Technical Nymphing Rod ~ 10' 8" - 4 Weight, Thomas & Thomas CONTACT II Technical Nymphing Rods. #2. akuriko, T&T has been around since the early 1970's in north central Massachusetts. Around this time, graphite entered the market. John Carpenter recalls when he and Troy took the prototype to Marthas Vineyard to sight fish for striped bass, guided by Captain Jaime Boyle. Shop Thomas & Thomas rods today and get free shipping on domestic orders over $50. The goal is to make eventually come soon. The production of bamboo rods ever made built to achieve light swing weight and ultra-sure, Includes Original Metal Case and Original Rod Cover and Helix models and have several wht and lengths lake! Price: $449.95 List Price: $595.00 . The Thomas & Thomas story, in many respects, is a direct reflection of nearly a half-century evolution in the fly-fishing industry, a tumultuous yet rewarding era of unprecedented social, cultural and technological change. 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. 9' 3/2. I tried to buy the business without buying the building, explains Neville Orsmond, T&Ts CEO since 2014, on the rainy January day we visit, but that wasnt possible. 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