Posted on 08/01/2014 5:17:31 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Every week CBS News travels America fishing for interesting stories. And, once again, we've hooked a good one.
A trout's brain is no bigger than a lentil, yet when it comes to outsmarting fly fishermen, it's enough. Which is why truly obsessive fishermen, like Randy Brown, seek any advantage they can -- like splurging on a $4,000 fishing pole.
"It's just a pleasure to fish with. There's just no other rods like these," says Brown. "It's the best stick there is."
The rods he's referencing are designed by legendary rod-maker Tom Morgan. If fly fishing is a religion, this is the Holy Grail. Which is why we recently made a pilgrimage to meet the maker at his home outside Bozeman, Montana.
We learned this man, who may know more about fly fishing rods than anyone in the world, hasn't so much as held one since 1993.
"You'd think since I couldn't go fishing that I might lose interest in it, but it's always been a pursuit of perfection," says Tom.
enhartman5.jpg Tom Morgan has been an avid fly fisherman his whole life. Tom runs the business with the help of his wife, Gerri. A retired school teacher, she never cared much for fishing, let alone rod making. But after Tom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, she bought into the dream: hook, line and endless tinkering.
"It's really given him a life, I think that he wouldn't have had," says Gerri.
Says Tom: "I never have thought about MS as holding me back from doing what I want to do."
enhartman3.jpg Tom Morgan CBS NEWS As a kid growing up in Montana, all Tom wanted to do was fish. He used to fish until he dropped - literally. As an adult he needed less sleep so he did even more fishing, until MS. Now, virtually paralyzed, the disease forced him to re-channel his passion. Tom still daydreams about fishing.
"I catch bigger ones now than ever."
Tom has none of the bitterness you'd expect to find in a man so cruelly denied his favorite pastime. In fact, there's a real joy in him that he says comes solely from bringing joy to others.
"Over the years, I know that I've provided thousands of people with great enjoyment in their favorite sport. It almost brings tears to my eyes."
Proof that there's only one thing better than a great day -- making someone else's.
Pinging the most legendary Fishing Rod guy in FReeperdom!
Secret —> go where the fish are. (Madison, Gallatin, Jefferson, Bitterroot, etc.)
Saw this piece on the news tonight. I was welling up a little bit myself.
Randy: it is a damn fishing pole.
It’s all in the wrist, honest.
Just like golf. It’s all about the hands.
ping
$4000 fishing pole? Kinda creepy like the $1000 outfits those fellas wear riding their bikes on the weekends. Sorry fellas! $4000, I going sail fishing 100 miles offshore!
It's possible to closely supervise small numbers of custom rods the way Wood is doing,doesn't get much harder. It makes you a bit crazy when you see someone doing something slightly different than what you would do but it's still doable.
Looks like he is still building split bamboo stiks. Tough to do. Hard to get the materiel and even harder to build. In the video it looks like the wader was using a graphite stik. Everyone in South Florida/the Keys who is a fly fishing aficionado migrates to Bozeman, Montana and the surrounding states in the summer. It's where the true fly-guys meet to eat and greet.A whole different world form the rest of fishing.
More my style as well. Hard to catch what we normally use for bait... although five miles out here in the winter is all the further you need to go.
An old boss of mine had a pile (literaly) of old fishing rods in his basement. Old, split bamboo ones from the 20’s-30’s (five or six) and some others. Couple boxes of old fishing lures (same era). He had been in the local antique dealer and eye-balled an old coat rack. The shop owner asked to come up and take a look at his place and the “stuff” he had.
After the fact he told me he traded in that “pile of fishing crap” for the coat rack! (AAAAGGGGGHHHH!)
I have a cousin that lives in Bozeman. He lives on the golf course. He doesn’t golf, but the river runs on the other side of the course (the Madison?). His buddies give him a hard time when he crosses the greens in his hip boots.
I remember when I was a kid fishing off of a local lake in the mid ‘70s, seeing all these people with expensive set ups.....
Then watching those Vietnamese kids show up with an empty soda can with line wrapped around it.....
Guess who caught more fish.
Yep, trolling for dolphin or kings is doable a lot closer in.
LOL!! Im not in to chasing the little white ball myslef. Give me a 150 lb. tarpoooon on 12 lb. spin any day.
We get kingfish about five miles out as well in the winter and all over the Gulf of Mexico. Dolphin can be another story they are all over the ocean.
Its 60 miles from Conch buoy off Islamorada to Cay Sal lots of guys run the entire distance this time of year looking for dolphin(Mahi-Mahi)its been a good year so far.
Biggest fish off here so far 63 lbs.
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click the pic!
Fisherman kept their rods for years.
Zane Grey was one of his customers.
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