Something new from Thomas & Thomas ,
New for 2012 Season
Thomas & Thomas TNT Saltwater Series
9’, 4-Piece, 7 – 12 wt, Ultra Fast Action
The Marketing Blurb
As saltwater anglers we all endure a love-hate relationship with the ever-present wind. You know it and we know it – the biggest fish get caught on the windiest days.
The new Thomas & Thomas TNT Saltwater Series is designed to ensure that you are equipped to deliver heavy flies in to relentless winds with an unprecedented level of power and accuracy. And if the fish changes course simply pick it up, shoot in to the back cast and lay it back out. This is a rod for advanced casters and die-hards of the flats. If you pray that tomorrow your favorite weather girl calls for clear skies and 20 mph winds then you owe it to yourself to check out the TNT series – pure dynamite.
The Technical Take
The TNT’s are the first Thomas & Thomas rods to be constructed using the highest modulus graphite’s and advanced resin’s available. These materials enabled us to significantly reduce the diameter of the blank while still achieving the stiffness desired of a saltwater rod. This has resulted in the lightest, strongest rods we’ve ever built.
Rod Designer, Tom Dorsey, explains,
"Knowledgeable rod designers understand the significant benefits of a lighter shaft weight and diameter – low inertia, better dampening characteristics for cleaner loops and increased energy transfer to the fly line. The challenge is to achieve this while retaining rod strength. The blend of high modulus graphite’s and state of the art resins has enabled us to achieve this to a degree we previously thought impossible. To the best of my knowledge we have created the lightest, most powerful saltwater rod blanks built anywhere.
It should be noted that we have resisted the temptation to compromise on the density of our cork or ‘skeletize’ our famous saltwater reel seats, in order to claim further weight reductions. We believe that doing so would be counter-productive since these parts of the rod have a miniscule effect on the rod’s casting dynamics and a huge effect on the rods durability and aesthetics. Reducing weight in the rod shaft - in front of the hand - offers the maximum potential for performance improvements and has been our principal focus.”
First Light , Tarpon , Thomas & Thomas TNT and me, Costa Rica
The TNT’s also feature all titanium guides and T&T’s new Rhino paint finish which offers a supremely hard, nick resistant finish resulting in additional strength benefits.
The Truth
The Thomas & Thomas TNT Series represents the thinnest, lightest, fastest saltwater rods we have ever launched. Anyone with decent timing and a good double haul is going to be throwing the full line and more in the car park. But it’s on the water where these rods really excel. At typical fishing distance of 45’ – 75’ the TNT’s generate maximum line speed with minimal false casts. The tip has been tweaked and re-tweaked until we feel we have got it just right – light enough to throw tight, wind-cutting loops but stiff enough so as not to collapse when picking up line off the water.
Do not expect this rod to be generously forgiving. Its not - but nor is the salt. Quite simply, this is a rod that will assist capable anglers to catch more fish even in tough conditions. We’re not claiming any proprietary technology or inventing new words to describe this level of performance. 
Llewellyn pulling a Dorado on the new TNT 8wt ( Bolivia)
But we are claiming to have taken the best materials available, combined them with T&T know-how and build quality to produce a rod that looks stunning and delivers performance to match. We’ve put this rod in the hands of some of the best saltwater anglers and guides around and their reactions are always the same – they cast, they smile, they nod, they say, ‘I want one’.
That’s the truth. And that’s the reason we’ve got a feeling the TNT’s will be ‘the saltwater rods you’ll eventually own’.
Regards
Ricko
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