I did business with T&T and Len, also with Marty Keane and Carmine Lisella- also got a phone call once from Hoagy Bix Carmichael-about a Garrison- recall 2 anecdotes from that era- (1_ Oldest daughter Mavis was at work,radio on, and a contest to win tickets to a Bob Seger concert was the prize- question was:"Who wrote "Stardust"-? piece of cake for an oldies music buff like me- so I gave her "Hoagy Carmichael" and she won 4 tickets-- She was home at the time Howard Hoagland Carmichael's only son called me from his upstate NY home-about the Garrison- "Dad,she called to me (I was in my basement workshop)- Hoagy Carmichael is on the phone for you- he wrote "Stardust", right?
Hoagy Bix Carmichael- named for his late father's closest friend, the Iowa cornet maestro- Bix Beiderbecke--
In that same 1980's era- our TU chapter hosted many fly fishing illuminaries at our annual banquet- Bernard "Lefty"Kreh, Dave Whitlock, Poal Jorgensen- and my pal Bill Hunter-- we were discussing the split cane rod market, and there was an Orvis Shoppe in the Grand Rapids area- the topic of their impregnated split bamboo rod came up--IMO- comparing an Orvis rod to, say a pre-fire Leonard or a Gary Howells, is like comparing a VW beetle to a BMW- both German designed cars- well anyway- the term "Made to last, not to cast" came up over 'sundowners'- and Lefty Kreh said: "Why are fine bamboo rods like HS cheerleaders? No one knew the right answer- so Lefty said: "They come with two matched tips, and are best Not impregnated!" He later told me he got that from Len Codella.
Marty was also a bit of a gun collector-shooter. He told me than when he and Ester were divorced, he had to sell 2 guns to come up with the settlement dinero- (1) A.H.Fox 20 gauge ejector gun (grade unknown) (2) Mannlicher-Schoenauer BA 6.5x54mm with the full length stock and 20" Karabiner length barrel-- RWTF
