Tom L Posted August 23, 2012 Report Share Posted August 23, 2012 This old documentary film is 28 minutes long, but worth every minute of it. I think you all will enjoy watching it.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7MiPagrXzA&feature=related Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 Watching that, I forgot that the "Splendid Splinter" was actually right handed (casted right handed) but batted lefty. I had to laugh when the Sears promo came up in the beginning because when I was a boy, everything and I mean everything in the Sears sporting goods and outdoor dept. had his name on it, probably even the roller skates. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronk Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 Enjoyed the vid probably made in the 60's going by Williams' look. I bet he & Wulff fished together from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom L Posted August 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 I'm sure at some points, Lee Wulff and Ted Williams the two legends fished together. I found these two older clips of Wulff fished the same river as Williams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 Tom, funny, Timothy T. just sent me those same links of Lee Wulff a couple days ago and as I was telling him, what a tough life, Wulff, McNally, and Ted Williams must have had, flying all over north America in search of pristine untouched and unfished waters in the 40's and 50's. I guess someone had to do it, but I wonder where I can sign up for that gig. Wulff was always known for being able to land large fish with really light gear just like in the film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronk Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 To me the 3 most enjoyable things to see in sport are Gale Sayers' broken field running,Ted Williams hitting a baseball,& Lee Wulff casting a flyrod.Wulff was the greatest flyfisherman ever.After blowing a good fish due to a bad cast he resolved he'd never again make a bad one.Only he could aspire to such an impossible goal.He preferred short rods believing they were better fish fighting tools. I understand the reels he used often had no drags & of course didn't provide the fish fighting benefit of being rimless.Towards the end of his life he was too infirm to fish standing up.I'll always believe he flew that plane into a mountain on purpose no longer able to do the things he loved.There was a life to be envied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom L Posted August 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 Did you all notice how weepy those rods that they were using, compared to today's graphite rods? They were able to shoot line 80'-90' out without a haul. The guide was standing on the canoe and poling in rapids without a lifejacket. And how about that vise Ted was using? For better or worst, how things had changed in the last 40-50 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronk Posted August 26, 2012 Report Share Posted August 26, 2012 Tom While it was said that Wulff could cast an entire line with just the tip section , which I'd have to see to believe, I don't think 80-90' casts wrere made in either video.Wulff's casts probably topped out in the low 70's his having said in the video that he normally fished casts in a tight upper 60- low 70's range.He was also using an 8wt,a powerful rod with which to cast those small salmon flies.I would think even Wulff would have to haul to reach 80-90' distances. Thanks for posting those old vids.They brought back good memories of watching Curt Gowdy fishing with Wulff on the The American Sportsman series in the 60's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike G Posted August 26, 2012 Report Share Posted August 26, 2012 Good video. I think Lee was an early champion of the "flea" rod, that is a rod 6 ft or less long. BTW Casting 60 ft with a tip should be easy. Here's two guys who do not even need a tip. http://www.gofishn.com/gofishn/8471-bet-this-guy-can-cast-fly-cast-better-without-a-rod-than-you-can-with-one/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted August 26, 2012 Report Share Posted August 26, 2012 Nice video Tom. I still have a Ted Williams fiberglass baitcasting rod that I pulled from the waters of Lake Shelbyville back in the 70's. It was my favorite rod for many years. Good memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronk Posted August 27, 2012 Report Share Posted August 27, 2012 Mike I saw Larry Dahlberg make that kind of sans flyrod cast at a show a few yrs back.Very impressive .I'm sure you know that all flylines are at least 90' however.The difference between a 60' & a 90' cast in diifficulty is considerable.And Wulff didn't have the benefit of today's distance flylines & rods. From what I understand those short rods Wulff favored were powerfull nonetheless and if so would've been custom built to his specifications.He realized that a shorter rod had more leverage against a big fish one reason I don't like those pole vaults they call spey rods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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