dcabarle
Administrator
Many years ago, I visited a small catskill fly shop in Roscoe, NY. I was going to fish the Beaverkill that day and wanted to pick up a dozen flies. I was making some pretty good money at the time so $250.00 later in flies was just a drop in the bucket. I wasn't looking to purchase anything else but as I turned around to walk out I noticed the most beautiful fly rod on a rod rack. I picked up a Thomas and Thomas Vector 8 1/2' 5wt rod and asked to the shop owner if I could cast it. Without hesitation, he rigged the rod up and across the way we went.
A few short casts followed by a few longer casts, followed by a few mid range casts, and I was hooked! I already had a rod or 3 but after casting this rod I just had to have it. The finish on the rod was the best I'd ever seen and the colors were just beautiful. Of course a smart fly fisherman doesn't typically base a graphite rod purchase on the color/finish. We (the smart fly fishermen) base our purchase on how the rod performs (I hope). That being said, the rod performed quite well and I couldn't be more pleased with the aesthetics.
I spent a good hour in the fly shop that day and walked out close to $1000.00 less but the rod became my primary rod and I was always happy with it. I think the store owner did throw in a free fly line too!
I'm not one to purchase many rods because I'm generally happy with what I have so when I purchase a new rod, it's gotta be a gem. This is why I can't say enough nice things about the new T&T NS5 which I'm now a proud owner. Just like the Vector series, this rod is perfect in every way. Of course over time, a few things have changed. This rod has a bit more backbone than its predecessor and feels a bit lighter in my hands which will certainly make casting a bit more pleasant while fishing places like the Delaware River for 8+ hours at a time. The rod is a 4 piece rod which means it will be a bit easier to carry around and a bit easier to store when travelling.
A few weeks ago, I spent the day on the upper Delaware fly fishing with my new rod. As mentioned in a previous post, It was fairly windy. I actually prepared for this wind by loading up the new T&T 5wt NS5 with a 6 wt Wulff Triangle Taper fly line. The rod handled the line GREAT! The rod cast through the wind as if it didn't exist.
The finish on the rod is everything you'de expect from a T&T rod and the workmanship is absolutely flawless. This is a rod worth every penny of a high end rod. I feel that the new T&T owener combined with the current T&T staff is doing everything they can to retain old customers as well as obtain new ones. T&T has a real winner with this new line, especially if you're fishing larger rivers and need that extra casting performance that you need.
Unlike my beloved Winston, this rod doesn't have the tip flex the Winston has. Sage is another story. The sage doesn't have much flex in it at all and leaves me feeling like it was a waste of money but it's still a good streamer rod. The T&T blows the Sage away in every aspect. I'd love to try this rod with streamers but I've been having too much fun throwing dries with it.
This coming weekend, I'll be taking pictures for the FUDR event (anyone attending? If you fish the Delaware river, you should support this fundraiser). On saturday, I'll load the rod up with a 5 wt line and I'm sure I"ll have a blast with it.
If anyone would like to give this rod a try or compare this rod to other rods (Winston/Sage/Loomis), I'd be more than happy to meet up with you. If you're an RRTU guy and are close to where they have their meets, I can bring the T&T rod and other rods with me so you can try them youself. If you'll be on the D this coming Saturday, I'll have them with me. Just let me know where you want to meet up. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!
...and no, I'm not being paid by T&T to say these nice things. I think T&T is in for the long haul and would like to support a somewhat local rod company. T&T has been around for years making a quality product, I'd like to ensure they're around for the long haul by supporting them.
A few short casts followed by a few longer casts, followed by a few mid range casts, and I was hooked! I already had a rod or 3 but after casting this rod I just had to have it. The finish on the rod was the best I'd ever seen and the colors were just beautiful. Of course a smart fly fisherman doesn't typically base a graphite rod purchase on the color/finish. We (the smart fly fishermen) base our purchase on how the rod performs (I hope). That being said, the rod performed quite well and I couldn't be more pleased with the aesthetics.
I spent a good hour in the fly shop that day and walked out close to $1000.00 less but the rod became my primary rod and I was always happy with it. I think the store owner did throw in a free fly line too!
I'm not one to purchase many rods because I'm generally happy with what I have so when I purchase a new rod, it's gotta be a gem. This is why I can't say enough nice things about the new T&T NS5 which I'm now a proud owner. Just like the Vector series, this rod is perfect in every way. Of course over time, a few things have changed. This rod has a bit more backbone than its predecessor and feels a bit lighter in my hands which will certainly make casting a bit more pleasant while fishing places like the Delaware River for 8+ hours at a time. The rod is a 4 piece rod which means it will be a bit easier to carry around and a bit easier to store when travelling.
A few weeks ago, I spent the day on the upper Delaware fly fishing with my new rod. As mentioned in a previous post, It was fairly windy. I actually prepared for this wind by loading up the new T&T 5wt NS5 with a 6 wt Wulff Triangle Taper fly line. The rod handled the line GREAT! The rod cast through the wind as if it didn't exist.
The finish on the rod is everything you'de expect from a T&T rod and the workmanship is absolutely flawless. This is a rod worth every penny of a high end rod. I feel that the new T&T owener combined with the current T&T staff is doing everything they can to retain old customers as well as obtain new ones. T&T has a real winner with this new line, especially if you're fishing larger rivers and need that extra casting performance that you need.
Unlike my beloved Winston, this rod doesn't have the tip flex the Winston has. Sage is another story. The sage doesn't have much flex in it at all and leaves me feeling like it was a waste of money but it's still a good streamer rod. The T&T blows the Sage away in every aspect. I'd love to try this rod with streamers but I've been having too much fun throwing dries with it.
This coming weekend, I'll be taking pictures for the FUDR event (anyone attending? If you fish the Delaware river, you should support this fundraiser). On saturday, I'll load the rod up with a 5 wt line and I'm sure I"ll have a blast with it.
If anyone would like to give this rod a try or compare this rod to other rods (Winston/Sage/Loomis), I'd be more than happy to meet up with you. If you're an RRTU guy and are close to where they have their meets, I can bring the T&T rod and other rods with me so you can try them youself. If you'll be on the D this coming Saturday, I'll have them with me. Just let me know where you want to meet up. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!
...and no, I'm not being paid by T&T to say these nice things. I think T&T is in for the long haul and would like to support a somewhat local rod company. T&T has been around for years making a quality product, I'd like to ensure they're around for the long haul by supporting them.
