The first 800

A couple weeks ago, we mentioned the fact that the first time Thomas & Thomas offered a catalog, Tom Dorsey and Tom Maxwell received 800 requests almost immediately. A groundswell like that feels more like something you’d get in response to a social media campaign today—instead of a single print ad in 1969.

Well, in the spirit of that auspicious event, and our deeper dive into the realm of digital and social media, we’re holding our very first Thomas & Thomas fly rod giveaway.

When we reach 800 likes on Facebook, 800 follows on Twitter and 800 subscribers to our monthly newsletter, we will draw one lucky winner from that pool. That winner will be able to select one rod from any line that is presently in the T&T catalog—except for bamboo. Our apologies to the T&T bamboo faithful.

One rod from any line, in any weight and any length. Helix, Horizon II, NS5, SSS, TNT, Spey, Switch and even Heirloom glass lines are all fair game. From big salt to small stream, the choice is yours.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to own one. Maybe you already do. Either way, this is your chance to own one of the finest, hand-crafted, American made fly rods on the market today—and all you have to do to be eligible is be one of the first 800 to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Let’s see if we can get any faster of a response today than The Toms did in ’69.

Spread the word…and good luck!

Postage

April 19, 2012 T&T Reply

Tom Dorsey and his brother-in-law, Tom Maxwell, started making fly rods as a hobby in the mid-1960′s. By 1969, with more and more people seeking out their craftsmanship, they decided to make a full-time go of it, opened a P.O. Box and took out an ad in the paper asking people to send for a catalog. 800 requests poured in almost immediately.

They borrowed enough to print and mail that first run of 800 and started what would become one of the finest and most sought-after retail catalog traditions in the industry.

In the spirit of this year’s revival of the Thomas & Thomas catalog and foray into the digital and social realm, and because it makes for some pretty good reading, you can bet that we’re going to be taking an occasional look back into that 40+ year print archive. Chances are good that we’ll uncover some entertaining stories, anecdotes and facts about the company and its craftsmen, the lineage of our fly rods and the evolution of the catalog itself.

Chances are also good that we’ll be giving away a T&T rod. Details on that coming soon.

Don’t touch that dial.

Sweet action: Our new Bamboo Switch

April 10, 2012 T&T 2 comments

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There is no doubt that the Switch category has generated a huge amount of excitement amongst anglers. We see no reason why bamboo enthusiasts can’t get in on the fun. Which is why we were delighted to discover that our master bamboo-craftsman, Troy Jacques, had embarked on a little project of his own while Tom