{"id":4867,"date":"2019-06-15T13:44:04","date_gmt":"2019-06-15T17:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/?p=4867"},"modified":"2019-06-15T13:46:08","modified_gmt":"2019-06-15T17:46:08","slug":"celebrating-fifty-years-tt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/celebrating-fifty-years-tt\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Fifty Years of Thomas & Thomas Fly Rods"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fly Rod Manufacturer Thomas & Thomas is turning 50<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"thomas<\/a>Here’s an article from our visit to the Thomas & Thomas factory in Massachusetts (followed by the T&T press release)
\nOriginally appeared in Tail #36 – July\/August 2018<\/h5>\n

If you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re looking for, you might not notice the Thomas & Thomas factory. 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to buy the business without buying the building,\u201d explains Neville Orsmond, T&T\u2019s CEO since 2014, on the rainy January day we visit, \u201c\u2014but that wasn\u2019t possible. As it\u2019s laid out, the factory is simply inefficient for producing fly rods.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Neville Orsmond knows something about efficiency. Before taking over Thomas & Thomas, he worked for a company that installed automated parking systems in New York City. A fly angler since childhood in his native South Africa, and a fan of Thomas & Thomas fly rods for nearly as long, Neville\u2019s position with the parking-system company gave him access to the region\u2019s storied trout waters, as well as airline access to exotic saltwater destinations. It also put him a couple of hours by car from the town of Greenfield and T&T\u2019s offices. When he got word that the business might be up for sale, he made the drive\u2014the first leg in the journey that would change his life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s save the bamboo room for last,\u201d
\nadvises John Carpenter, T&T\u2019s
\nOperations Manager, who serves as our
\ntour guide. \u201cIf we begin there, we find
\nthat everyone usually gets stuck.\u201d<\/h2>\n

Thomas & Thomas was founded in 1969 by brothers in law Thomas Dorsey and Thomas Maxwell. The business originally began in Pennsylvania, in a rented cabin on the banks of a limestone stream. But when they bought at auction the extensive machinery from Massachusetts rod maker Sewell N. Dunton & Sons, whose company origins dated from the 1850s and whose inventory included the original milling machines acquired from the Montague Rod Company, they found they didn\u2019t have the finances to transport the equipment to Pennsylvania. So instead, they relocated to Turners Falls, Massachusetts, on the Connecticut River. In 2001 the company moved across the river to Greenfield, where it has called home ever since. <\/span><\/p>\n

While their sole focus in the beginning was high-quality split-cane rods (for which all would-be clients had to join a waiting list), by the mid-1970s they had become pioneers in the use of carbon fiber.<\/span><\/p>\n

Its reputation bolstered by such high-profile customers as Ernest Schwiebert and Ted Williams, the company grew quickly. 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"thomas<\/a>The Thomas & Thomas that Neville Orsmond found when he arrived in Greenfield in 2013 had declined considerably since its glory days. The iconic brand had suffered through a number of ownerships and poor business decisions, the credit crisis of 2008, and bad management. Then-owner Mark Richens had narrowly rescued the company from receivership.<\/span><\/p>\n

Neville wasn\u2019t deterred. The kid who loved fly fishing was now a business-savvy adult who had the resources to turn things around. He also had the encouragement of his wife. Eight months later, he had the keys to the place.<\/span><\/p>\n

So began Neville Orsmond\u2019s apprenticeship in fly rod production. Each Sunday evening he made the drive from his home in Connecticut and checked into a local hotel, hitting the factory floor by seven each morning during the workweek to learn from the ground up each phase of production\u2014as well as service, sales, and marketing. (He lived out of that hotel room for a year before moving his family to Massachusetts.)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing I had to do was to address repairs,\u201d Neville says: \u201cThey were backlogged six months. To claim you make the world\u2019s finest fly rod is no small thing. You can\u2019t have a customer waiting six months to get his rod fixed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This focus on the customer extends to all aspects of the business. There is no automated phone system. Everyone answers the phone, including Neville. \u201cI don\u2019t want to hear it ring four times,\u201d he says. In addition, all customer emails get answered promptly. <\/span><\/p>\n

Neville\u2019s next order of business, he says, was to modernize production, which required a sizable investment in new equipment. Replacing the outdated rolling table, convection oven, and cellophane-wrapping machine with computer-controlled versions afforded much more precision when working with the latest graphite composites.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s save the bamboo room for last,\u201d advises John Carpenter, T&T\u2019s Operations Manager, who serves as our tour guide. \u201cIf we begin there, we find that everyone usually gets stuck.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We begin at a row of industrial-size chest freezers. The primary material of T&T\u2019s rod blanks, graphite composite sheets (carbon fibers impregnated with thermosetting resin) arrive at the factory packed in dry ice. Because their shelf life is based on temperature, the sheets are kept frozen until ready to use. This extends shelf life for up to a year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite Neville\u2019s talk of modernizing production, it quickly becomes clear that building graphite fly rods is still very much an artisan endeavor. We look on as pattern-cutter Mike Jenest uses templates and a razor knife to hand-cut blank sections from the composite sheets.<\/span><\/p>\n

The cut sections of graphite composite (known in the industry as flags <\/i>for their pennant shape) are then fastened to precisely tapered steel mandrels using a tacking agent and are placed on a rolling table, which vaguely resembles two ironing boards placed one atop another. The top board rolls the graphite composite around the mandrel using a steady, even pressure, ensuring there are no wrinkles. A tape-wrapping machine spiral-wraps a strip of heat-resistant cellophane tape the entire length of the blank section.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tape-wrapped blank sections are now ready for curing. To achieve consistency in the finished product, a computer-controlled convection oven heats the blank sections in a series of steps\u2014that is, various temperatures for precise lengths of time. One key step is known as the gel phase,<\/i> in which the resin melts and the cellophane tape shrinks, squeezing the liquified resin amongst the graphite fibers, bonding everything together. Many of the advancements in resin technology, John Carpenter points out, involve getting the graphite fibers to bond together better. Working in conjunction with its suppliers, Thomas & Thomas has recently helped develop a nano-particle resin that fills microscopic voids in the graphite, adding strength to the blank while reducing its weight. This can be experienced in their newest saltwater series, the Exocett, a powerful rod that\u2019s very light in hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the blank sections have finished baking, the cellophane tape is stripped off and the sections are removed from the mandrels. Depending on the model of rod being built, the sections are sanded to remove the spiral ridges left by the cellophane. The sections are then painted, most with T&T\u2019s trademark blue finish\u2014either glossy or matte. Once the coatings have dried, the final step in blank production is to cut and hand-fit each male and female section\u2014that is, the sleeve ferrules\u2014to complete the individual blank.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each blank is splined\u2014that is, the backbone of the rod is located and marked\u2014and guide placement is marked in line with the spline and spaced according to a predetermined formula. Now the blank is ready to have the guides wrapped on. We watch Sheila LaShier, an employee of 25 years, wrap a rod old-school\u2014that is, no wrapping stand. The company presently contracts with a number home wrappers, members of the community who are trained at the factory and take bundles of rods home to wrap piecework.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each section of every rod is inscribed with the rod\u2019s unique serial number. This facilitates any future repairs, and it prevents the owner from mixing up sections from two different rods\u2014even on identical models. As John Carpenter explains, blank sections of identical rods are not interchangeable: Each piece is hand-fitted to its adjoining section. This makes each T&T fly rod a unique instrument.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thread wraps are coated in a special environment-controlled room devoid of dust particles. Three coats of epoxy are applied over as many days. Coating the wraps in stages prevents excessive weight along the blank and contributes to the rod\u2019s elegance. <\/span><\/p>\n

The butt section of the Exocett is fitted with a light gray anodized aluminum reel seat containing two large locking rings. This is complemented by a full wells grip (comfortable in hand and not overly large) and fighting butt turned from premium cork.<\/span><\/p>\n

The company\u2019s roster of advisors and pro staff use and abuse both production rods as well as prototypes in every fishery imaginable\u2014trout to trevally, bluegill to blue marlin\u2014and provide feedback that informs production and design.<\/span><\/p>\n

Painstaking though the process is\u2014and you\u2019re getting the abridged version\u2014this is what\u2019s required to produce superior graphite fly rods for the demanding modern market.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the graphite end of the factory appeals to the engineer-minded practitioners of the game, the bamboo room appeals to the poets. At once you\u2019re enveloped in a completely different energy, as if transported through time. It is here, amid handsaws and block planes, the smell of burlap and wood varnish, that Troy Jacques transforms raw bamboo culms into the exquisite fly rods that established the Thomas & Thomas name.<\/span><\/p>\n

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, \u201cstood above and beyond any I have met.\u201d When Moran returned to England in 1995, all bamboo rod production passed to Troy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI remember the month before Tom left,\u201d recalls Troy. \u201cI followed him around with a notebook, writing down everything he said. I knew I had to be 110 percent in this. If I was only 90 percent, Tom Dorsey never would have kept me on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Troy fills us in on the background. Of the thousand-plus species of bamboo, which actually belong to the family of grasses, Tonkin cane (Arundinaria amabilis<\/i> McClure) possesses the greatest structural strength, with a tensile strength greater than steel. Tonkin cane grows only in a relatively small area of South China\u2019s Guangdong Province (an area about the size of the county in which Greenfield resides). Contrary to what you might think, the finest Tonkin cane is not particularly rare or expensive; enough of the raw material to produce a rod might cost as little as $15. Your investment in a bamboo rod is in the building.<\/span><\/p>\n

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. The lengths of bamboo that have the greatest percentage of power fibers to pith are those that are closest to the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

The culms are split and planed into equilateral triangular sections, tapered along their length to tolerances within a thousandth of an inch (finer than the finest human hair, to give you a point of reference) and glued and wrapped together to form a hexagonal shaft. \u201cA bamboo trout rod,\u201d says Troy, \u201ccan have a bit of pith. But a 10-weight rod should consist entirely of power fibers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This segues into the most intriguing leg of the tour for us\u2014T&T\u2019s latest models of bamboo: their saltwater series of rods.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a project Troy has wanted to undertake since the beginning. Inspired by vintage images from the early days of the game\u2014\u201cI\u2019d like to fill that entire wall with black-and-white photos\u201d\u2014he began to design and build his first saltwater rod, an 8-foot, 3-inch rod for 9-weight line.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"john<\/a>John Carpenter recalls when he and Troy took the prototype to Martha\u2019s Vineyard to sight fish for striped bass, guided by Captain Jaime Boyle. \u201cWe took along a 9-weight graphite rod as well, and we thought the bamboo would be a novelty. We thought we\u2019d each catch a fish with it and put it away. But it was so much fun that we didn\u2019t pick up the graphite rod the entire day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As striped bass are difficult to come by in western Massachusetts in January, we had to content ourselves with taking the rod out on the lawn for a test drive. For those who question whether the noble grass is up to the job of making the long, powerful casts required for success in salt water, be advised: This ain\u2019t your grandaddy\u2019s bamboo.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough I love graphite for the phenomenal casting tool it is,\u201d Troy says, \u201cthere are things I actually like better about bamboo. It has more feel, and it can water-load a longer line than graphite can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

These rods aren\u2019t just pretty casting tools, however. To date, the largest rod Troy has built, a 12-weight, has subdued giant trevally, tuna in the 100-pound range, a tarpon of 160 pounds, as well as large sailfish and marlin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe advisors have been pushing the prototype 12-weights beyond what I had intended. 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Troy doesn\u2019t know how many of these rods Thomas & Thomas will sell (at this writing, there\u2019s about a nine month wait for custom bamboo). \u201cThey\u2019re not for everybody,\u201d he concedes. \u201cThey\u2019re for the angler who\u2019s on the water a lot, has done a lot of sight fishing, and they\u2019re looking for that next challenge. Kind of like the hunter who starts hunting with a longbow. That\u2019s what got me into fly fishing to begin with\u2014the challenge. That\u2019s what keeps me interested. That\u2019s what keeps me a kid.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We conclude our tour in Neville\u2019s office, with a cup of coffee he prepares for us. Neville asks us about our fishing and talks enthusiastically of his own. It\u2019s clear that this is exactly where he wants to be in life, doing the job that he was born to do. <\/span><\/p>\n

Neville talks about his plans for the future of the company\u2014a new factory that doubles as a visitors\u2019 center to promote the region\u2019s natural resources. \u201cThe Commonwealth has been fantastic to work with,\u201d Neville says. \u201cThey\u2019ve been very supportive of what we\u2019re doing for the economy here, and they\u2019ve given us a lot of encouragement to move forward.\u201d Neville\u2019s affable smile conveys a can-do attitude that leaves no doubt he\u2019ll make it happen.<\/span><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need to wait for the visitor\u2019s center to open, however. Neville encourages anyone to stop by for a visit now. If you do, you\u2019ll find an upscale fly rod factory to be sure, but you\u2019ll find much more than that.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

PRESS RELEASE FROM THOMAS & THOMAS:<\/h4>\n

THOMAS & THOMAS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF INNOVATIVE CRAFTSMANSHIP
\nMay 30, 2019<\/h2>\n

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. In 2019, Thomas & Thomas Fly Rods (T&T) celebrates its 50th year of crafting fly rods in the United States, and with that, reflects on what it\u2019s taken to make, \u201cThe rod you will eventually own.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. Trained by a relative, the two soon became full-time rod builders. Thomas & Thomas was founded in Chambersburg, PA in 1969. While the American fly-angling scene became saturated with and fixated on the advances of mass-produced fiberglass rods, the Toms stayed the course of American craftsmanship in their small cabin workshop which sat on the banks of a limestone stream. They rejected the cookie-cutter techniques becoming all the rage and adhered to American traditions of high craftsmanship and heirloom quality. That quality garnered the attention of angling legends Vince Marinaro, Ernest Schwiebert and others who proclaimed T&T rods unrivaled in performance and craftsmanship.<\/p>\n

Not long after founding T&T, the Toms were presented with the opportunity to purchase rod making equipment and the largest cache of Tonkin bamboo in North America in Turner Falls, MA. The company relocated there in 1974 and continued operations.<\/p>\n

Around this time, graphite entered the market. 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.). In 1977 they created their first T&T graphite rods, stamped with distinct touches, such as stunning rosewood inserts. As always, they maintained a mantra of \u201cform follows function,\u201d using the same rules applied to bamboo rod making.<\/p>\n

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, \u201ca tedious, but rewarding task, which I view as an empirical process, more akin to the culinary arts than science. Try and then tweak, change, try again and change some more. This not only requires good casting skills and technique, but diagnostic insight and an ability to evaluate results\u2014what to change, where to change, to what degree and what those changes should accomplish.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Carpenter, a custom woodworker who joined T&T in the late 90s, noted, \u201cThe two Toms tried to preserve the idea of a finely crafted handmade bamboo rods no matter what material they were using. They continued to reject the standards of modern mass-produced, machine-made items in favor of thoughtfully handmade items that would last through generations. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each and every rod was tested and the smallest adjustments made by hand to correct any imperfections, standards still in practice by T&T rod makers today. Because Dorsey was an early adopter of two-handed casting, T&T built some of the first graphite spey rods on the American market. It wasn\u2019t until the 90s that the company\u2019s graphite rods were painted T&T blue to make the product stand out in stores. The color has remained a staple since.<\/p>\n

\"thomas<\/a>Tom Dorsey sold T&T in the 80s (Maxwell left in the 70s.), whereby the company underwent a cycle of ups and downs. Rod sales were boosted by increases in the average American\u2019s leisure time in the 90s, as well as the release of the industry-altering A River Runs Through It (1992). In 2001, the company moved across the Connecticut River to Greenfield, MA and floundered during the financial crash of 2007, where it remained in a delicate state for some years.<\/p>\n

In 2013, South African businessman and angler Neville Orsmond visited the T&T plant out of sheer curiosity to see where his favorite rods were made. There, he realized the need and opportunity to rescue the storied brand. In 2014, the chance to take the helm at T&T set the stage for the realization of a lifelong dream \u2013 to work alongside Tom Dorsey, creating the world\u2019s finest fly rods. Orsmond\u2019s aim was to infuse the company with new enthusiasm and ambition around the company\u2019s goals and marketing. Those combined factors have come together to grow the brand and the sales volume reflects those efforts. Maintaining a strong commitment to an American-made product was also of utmost importance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a collaborative process to rebuild the brand,\u201d said Orsmond. \u201cWe\u2019ve kept true to who we are by employing people who have been with T&T for 20 to 30 years. That adds up to more than 100 years of experience building rods. People believe in identity and passion. It\u2019s our job to continue to evolve and improve, to build up and care for our anglers and fishery resources through conservation. Fly fisherman believe not only in products but in preserving the outdoors, which makes us lucky to work in this Industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, T&T has developed a reputation as the Rolls-Royce of fly rods. In 1981 President Reagan commissioned salmon rods as a wedding gift for Lady Diana and Prince Charles. 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. As the company evolves, it\u2019s appealing to an entirely new kind of destination angler.<\/p>\n

A new generation of fly anglers is pushing T&T rod design to the next frontier. Some of the premier professional anglers on the planet are T&T advisors and ambassadors, including Keith Rose-Innes, Christiaan Pretorius, Camille Egdorf, Richard Strolis and many others. These pros are testing techniques and equipment in entirely new settings and conditions on new species. Using decades of angling knowledge and experience in waters all over the world, these field experts consult T&T rod builders on every design.<\/p>\n

\u201cThomas & Thomas is not just a brand, it\u2019s a culture,\u201d said T&T advisor Keith Rose-Innes. \u201cTheir passionate team takes the time to care for the sport in equal proportion to their drive to lead performance through innovation. I purchased my first T&T Horizon series in 1998 and have enjoyed 20 years of a culture that has made me proud to be part of the T&T team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with angler expertise, T&T\u2019s in-house craftsmen rely on top training. Old master knowledge paired with a new, trained generation of master rod makers is the foundation of the T&T product line. Graphite rod designer Joe Godspeed learned the trade from Dorsey. And T&T bamboo rod maker Troy Jacques learned from Dorsey and Tom Moran.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe design by feel and not by math and metrics. There\u2019s always been a lot of stock placed in the physical feel of our designs. That\u2019s what I took away from Tom Dorsey,\u201d said Godspeed. \u201cWe\u2019re increasingly shifting toward specialty products. Going toward the future, that\u2019s setting us apart and contributing to our growth. That\u2019s going to be a trend with the company\u2014creating things that are on the cutting edge of what people are using for specialty tactics in the fly fishing world.\u201d<\/p>\n

T&T\u2019s focus on construction, design, durability and refinement have won the company new product awards for its graphite rods at the International Fly Tackle Dealer show on two occasions. In 1996 the T&T Horizon series won Best Fly Rod – Saltwater and in 2018, the new T&T Zone 9\u02b9 9wt, 4pc took the same category. The company\u2019s outstanding rods rest on the knowledge bank of Tom Dorsey and all the master rod makers who have come through the company\u2019s doors, combined with the latest materials and the innovative T&T design process.<\/p>\n

Bamboo remains a strong component of the T&T product line. T&T master bamboo rod maker Troy Jacques has been with the company since 1991 and stuck through the good years as well as the challenging. He initially came on as a graphite rod builder, but when famed rod maker Bob Taylor left T&T, Troy became an apprentice. He was trained by Dorsey and by Tom Moran of Hardy\u2019s fame, who in 1993, came from the UK and remained for some years to observe Dorsey\u2019s techniques.<\/p>\n

Troy keeps reminders of his mentors in the bamboo shop: \u201cTo this day, I still use a lot of Tom Moran\u2019s techniques. I still have and use Tom Moran\u2019s and Tom Dorsey\u2019s tools. Gluing back then took three people. Tom Dorsey ran the binder, I dipped the parts in glue, Tom Moran rolled the parts to set all 4 the strips and lock them in. To this day, I have Tom Moran\u2019s glue shoes [Glue drips off the table and makes quite a mess.]. I have Tom Dorsey\u2019s too. Their shoes stand by the rod rack.\u201d<\/p>\n

In recent years, Troy\u2019s taken his designs to the next evolutionary stage with the T&T Sextant saltwater bamboo rods, looking to the practices of Dorsey and Moran, but listening to the demands of anglers. \u201cToday we have this whole cadre of young guys who are into saltwater. Bamboo has been left out of the warm and saltwater species for the last few decades. But back in the day, these species were only caught with bamboo. I always wanted to make a saltwater rod but didn\u2019t have time. Its\u2019 hard to find time to experiment because everything moves at a snail\u2019s pace with bamboo. 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. I said, \u2018I\u2019m not just going to do this for a few guys.\u2019 But with their following, it made it viable,\u201d said Jacques.<\/p>\n

Jacques set out to build a rod on which he could fish a 200-grain sink tip for streamer fishing. He then progressed to a prototype 9-wt, 8\u2019 3\u201d, two-piece rod. Jacques experimented fishing for stripers off Nantucket using a textured fly line. The rod performed so well that his party took turns fishing the rod the entire day. From there, he developed the tarpon rod, an 8\u2019 5\u201d 12-wt., two-piece designed to push through wind, hold a long line in the air and fight tarpon and other species. Keith Rose-Innes used this model to fish for tarpon in Apalachicola, a rod which was unveiled at IFTD in 2016 to great acclaim. There is now a full series available from 6-12 weight and Jacques is now developing a blue-water 13-14-wt. bamboo rod.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had rave reviews from anglers trying these rods. We have a new audience today, new anglers. We have to listen to them and help them get to the next frontier of where they want to go. All the jungle angling and all the focus on landing big saltwater species like GTs, the size of the flies, everything is so new for fly fishing. That\u2019s the way it should be,\u201d said Jacques. \u201cYou should listen and support anglers to help them go where they want to go. I\u2019ve taken Dorsey\u2019s tapers and done small things to it to support someone coming from graphite over bamboo so they can give this a try.\u201d<\/p>\n

To celebrate T&T\u2019s 50th, a commemorative bamboo rod will be on show at the 2019 IFTD show in Denver and available for consumer purchase shortly thereafter. In the meantime, T&T brand users can celebrate with 50th anniversary t-shirts, hats and other merchandise.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, the company\u2019s history is a reminder that relentless innovation and uncompromising performance in pursuit of perfection is always a worthwhile goal,\u201d said Orsmond. \u201cWe can\u2019t wait to celebrate the next 50 years.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fly Rod Manufacturer Thomas & Thomas is turning 50 Here’s an article from our visit to the Thomas & Thomas factory in Massachusetts (followed by the T&T press release) Originally…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4870,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,2693,2417,252,29],"tags":[2814,2812,2809,47,30,2813,2808,2810,2811],"yst_prominent_words":[2818,2793,2803,2805,2800,314,315,321,507,2792,2791,385,2806,498,2807,2801,823,2787,2804,2802],"class_list":{"0":"post-4867","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fly-fishing-gear","8":"category-historical-figures","9":"category-personalities","10":"category-saltwater-species","11":"category-tail-fly-fishing-magazine","12":"tag-50-years","13":"tag-bamboo-fly-rods-for-salt","14":"tag-neville-osmond","15":"tag-saltwater-fly-fishing-magazine","16":"tag-tail-fly-fishing-magazine","17":"tag-tarpon-on-bamboo","18":"tag-thomas-thomas","19":"tag-thomas-dorsey","20":"tag-thomas-maxwell"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/thomas-and-thomas-in-tail-fly-fishing-magazine.png?fit=1296%2C865&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4867\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4867"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=4867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}