Ari T Hart - You only live so short
In an interview series "De Nederlandse Vliegenvisser" (the Dutch fly fishermen), Hans Bock, who runs a fly fishing school in Zuiden (Holland), also visited and interviewed Ari T Hart.
On his website "hooked-on-flyfishing.com" you could find it.
I translated the both articel from Dutch to English and make it available.
Source:
Text & most of the Pics by Hans Bock / Peter Verheijden
Je leeft maar zo kort - Ari T Hart (Part 1)
At the General Members' Meeting of March 15, Ari 't Hart received a newly created award:
the Ari ’t Hart Fly.
An award for which you can only qualify as a person if you have delivered a special, appreciated and recognizable achievement in a national and international context to promote fly fishing. The candidate must therefore have put the Netherlands on the international map in the field of fly fishing.
So it's high time to visit Ari and put it in the spotlight in two articles.
Ari T Hart Fly award
When you enter the 't Hart house, you are immediately overwhelmed by the enormous amount of art. Paintings made by Ari hang on the wall. The living room is also equipped with various glass art objects, which were made by Ari's wife Astrid.
In many places are artifacts that Ari and Astrid have collected from all over the world. For example, I notice a one meter high elephant, made entirely of colorful metal plates, and a three meter tall, wooden African Bushman.
When we sit down to the coffee and cake, Ari only needs a single question to get going. He talks endlessly about his special designs: fly fishing adventures, people he has met and what his life as an artist has brought him. Everything is constantly peppered with a good dose of humor. He also takes us to his workspace and his room full of products he once designed.
EDUCATION As an 18-year-old young man, Ari had to stand up for his number. He really wanted to become a sports instructor during his military service. However, that was only possible if you were a marine. Because he didn't care much for the color of the beret, he went with the marines to New Guinea in 1953 for that reason: “I was there for two years. When we returned, nothing had been arranged and certainly no reception committee. You could get $900 to go to Australia and try to build a life there. I chose not to and stayed in the Netherlands. Apart from the fact that it does shape you, of course, except for a certain form of malaria, I didn't get much out of it. It took another seven years before I was completely cured of that malaria.” After his military service, Ari started working at TNO: “I worked there in the voltage and vibration research department. There I learned a lot in the field of instrument making. You can say that I really learned the trade there." Ari attended the Leiden Instrument Makers School, founded by Kamerlingh Onnes in 1901. There he learned how to think as a fine instrument maker: “A teacher once put a piece of raw material on the table and stated that if you couldn't fall in love with it, you could never be a good instrument maker. I totally agree. Love for the material I work with, be it aluminum, titanium, wood, steel or gold, comes first. The material that helps me to make a beautiful new product is the most important thing.” The path from basic material to a new product is somewhat special for Ari: “I never make a drawing before I start. I have a new product in mind and make it right away. That way I can make changes as I go along. If you work from a drawing, it is much more difficult. When the product is finally ready and possibly put into production, I make a technical drawing afterwards, so that machines can be set up based on that.”
FLY FISHING After this training, Ari worked at ITC, an aerial mapping company: “It was a special company in several respects. You had to be invited to work there. They had their own plane with which they flew over land, where series of photos were taken during a flight. Those photos were later stereoscopically converted into a map. I designed and made the equipment needed for that.” The company more or less ensured that Ari and his wife ended up in the east of the country: “I am originally from Delft and Astrid from The Hague. The company moved from Delft to Enschede in the middle of 1970 and we went along with it.” Ari designed his first fly fishing reel in 1959. The fact that it is a design that could be put into production in 2014 indicates that it was a very modern design at the time. Ari came into contact with fly fishing through a fishing friend: ”I often fished with my fishing friend Juri Koolen with the pole. One day Juri told me that he had seen a nice new way of fishing. It turned out to be fly fishing. At V&D I bought a glass rod and a Haddon reel. Since then I have only been fly fishing. When I watched that Haddon reel, I knew I could make it better. So I made my first reel that same year.”
VERSATILE Ari has a fixed rule when designing: “I make something that I like. If someone else doesn't like it, that's a shame. When designing, I do not allow myself to be guided by the wishes and desires of potential customers.” Ari's versatility is apparent from the fact that, in addition to the well-known fly fishing reels, he also makes beautiful wood carvings, paintings in different styles and also jewelry: “I am also a goldsmith and like to work with 18-carat gold, titanium and silver. For Prince Claus I made a miniature globe in gold. All my jewelry is unique pieces; I don't make series.” In addition, Ari also designed and made medical equipment, capos for guitars, a racing wheelchair for Nike, lamps, glasses, pens, one of the first computer mice and a bicycle for Cannondale. In many of his designs, Ari uses exclusive materials, such as special woods and pieces of mammoth. Ari's exclusive taste, which reflects class and style, is reflected in the fact that he is frequently asked to design prizes and awards: “I have designed medals of honor for the likes of Mikhail Gorbachev, Al Gore and Nelson Mandela. I designed and created ten Golden Apple Awards for Apple.” In addition to all the design work, Ari was also a successful volleyball trainer and coach. For example, he gave training at the University of Twente and Ari trained various clubs at the Eredivisie level (means high sports league).
Astrid and Ari T Hart at home
SUCCESSFUL As a reel designer, Ari's level and success is perhaps best measured by the fact that Ari's 'Remco reel' is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Furthermore, it will not be a coincidence that many world leaders and celebrities fish with Ari's reels: “I designed a reel especially for George Bush. Jimmy Carter also flies a reel of mine. I personally knew Jack Hemingway, who died in 2000, and he even had some of my first models. I once made a pink reel for Lady Diana. Furthermore, Joe Cocker and Lefty Kreh also fish with my reels.” A museum has been set up in Calgary with about 200 Ari 't Hart reels. Ari's success as a designer has not been able to cash in financially: "Too often I have been scammed, my ideas have been stolen and I have been too trusting." Still, Ari is not an incensed person. During the interview, he barely mentions the people who exploited and disadvantaged him for business: “My reels have taken me all over the world and I have also met wonderful people through them. Because of those special contacts I was able to fish in fly fishing waters, which you can normally never go to. I have learned that loyalty does not exist. However, there is no point in just complaining and getting grumpy about it. My slogan is: You live so short and you are dead so long. Nowadays I sometimes add: You are my friend – I will kill you for nothing."
The pink reel for Lady Diana
HUMOUR Ari is a good storyteller and alternates true stories with well-told jokes: “Humour is important to me. Recently I got a call from John Betts, a well-known American fly tyer. John told me he had a discussion with a university professor about what constitutes an eccentric. In the end they came up with something like: someone who makes something really beautiful, but is not interested in selling it. John said he had given me my address then.” Based on his experiences in the business field, Ari tells a beautiful story in which honesty is central: “A very rich king has a number of sons, and one of them will be his successor. In order to make the right choice, he gives each of them a flower pot filled with soil. He tells his sons to take good care of them. After three weeks they have to show what has become of it. Then the king will announce who will be his successor. After three weeks they come together and one son has grown an even bigger plant than the other from the flower pot. However, one of them has not managed to grow a blade. The king calls this son to him. The son apologizes to his father and says that he did everything he could, but that nothing would grow in him. To everyone's surprise, the king announces that he will be his successor. When the son asks in disbelief how this is possible, the king tells that there was nothing but a pebble in everyone's flower pot.”
CANADA Ari: “During a fly fishing trip in British Columbia, we planned a day trip to a small tributary of the Dean River. Because the area was very inhospitable, we were flown in one by one with a small helicopter. I was dropped off last and agreed with the pilot where and at what time he would pick me up again. While fishing I decided to wade across the river. Because it had been raining heavily all day upstream, the river had risen sharply and was now flowing like mad. I had to cross the river to get to the place where the helicopter would pick me up again. Halfway through, the pressure of the water became too great and I was pushed down. I was dragged down the river a few hundred meters and lost my rod and camera. I ended up among the branches of a fallen tree that hung halfway into the river. I was able to climb out of the water through the branches and was halfway through the fallen tree recovering from the perilous adventure. When the helicopter came to pick me up, the pilot couldn't find me at first. Of course I saw the helicopter flying up and down past the agreed place. From the tree, I waved my clothes to get his attention. Finally he saw me and I gestured to him to try and get as close to me as possible. Hanging from one of the brackets of the helicopter's undercarriage, I escaped.”
Ari T Hart - Flyfishing in Canada
Je leeft maar zo kort - Ari T Hart (Part 2)
This is the second and final part of the Ari ’t Hart interview. Why this interview again? Ari received the brand new Ari 't Hart Fly during the ALV this spring. An award you receive when you have delivered a special, appreciated and recognizable achievement in a national and international context to promote fly fishing. So someone worth getting to know.
Ari was probably one of the first Dutch fly fishermen who taimen fishing: “In 1978 I flew to Moscow to fly fly fishing for taimen in Siberia on the Lena River. In Moscow I was taken to another airport in a rickety van. There was an old, dilapidated plane ready to fly me to Siberia. During the flight, a dog ran down the aisle and a baby crawled between the seats. A gypsy was peeling an apple with a machete.”
When I ask how the fishing was, Ari says: “At first I couldn't understand why I kept failing when a taimen made a big swirl on my mouse imitation. It turned out that this fish first tries to hit the mouse with its tail and then comes back to eat the half-flooded mouse. I caught the best with big blue streamers. In the end I landed 19 taimen, the largest of which measured 1.53 meters.
On some trips, of course, things sometimes went wrong: “I was once walking with a guide on the flats of the Bahamas, looking for bonefish, when we suddenly saw two sand sharks. They were mainly interested in each other and my rod was a little too light to cast them seriously. Out of wantonness I tapped one with my rod tip. In a flash, the fish turned and bit my top into several pieces."
GERMANY AND BOBBY KNIGHT Ari doesn't have to think twice to recall another comical event: “I was fishing in the Ruhr and hooked a huge brown trout behind a dam. It was a site, right in front of a terrace. It was quite full at the time. Because of the size of the fish I wanted to direct it to the side to pull it on. My fight with the big fish had caught the attention of a number of patio patrons. They were watching me attentively. When I tried to pull the fish ashore, my rod broke. The broken tip part slid down the leader, the tip eye hitting the hook in the mouth of the fish and the fish unhooked spontaneously. Totally stunned, I was still watching the fish swim away when one of the onlookers asked if I always unhooked my fish that way. I answered in the affirmative and then quickly left.” In Seattle, Ari was in a rush to catch the ferry: “I spent several days fishing his beautiful private creeks with Bobby Knight, the legendary basketball coach. We flew together from Vancouver to Seattle. Bobby had told me he had to give a lecture there and I had an appointment with Don Green, Sage's principal. The handling of the luggage all took a little longer than planned. I had very little time to catch the ferry. Bobby said he'd take me to the boat. It turned out that the president of the MBA was waiting for him in a limousine to take him to a stadium in Seattle, where he would give a speech about coaching in front of 20,000 spectators. Hundreds of Bobby's fans stood at the exit clamoring for an autograph. A girl asked me if I was Bobby Knight. When I said I was Ari 't Hart, disappointment dripped from her face. The president of the MBA almost exploded when Bobby told him to take me away first. There would be no more time to lose, but Bobby got me to the ferry first.”
Ari T Hart (left) and Hans Gebetsroither
Ari T Hart and Jack Hemmingway
MEL KRIEGER AND JACK HEMINGWAY Ari came into contact with Ernest Hemingway's son in a special way: “I was invited to give a lecture about fishing in Chile with Mel Krieger in Santiago. If you think about it, that's actually strange. A Dutchman who has to go to Chile to tell Chileans how to fish. The organization had arranged a very luxurious hotel for us, where the presentation was also given. In addition, three weeks of accommodation and permits in the most exclusive lodges in Chile had been arranged. When I asked Mel on the day of the presentation if there would be a lot of people, he said that about 150 people were expected. When the time came, it turned out that there were 1,100 interested parties. The room was almost overflowing with people! That same night I slipped while taking a shower and fell hard on the edge of the tub with my leg. The next day I was in quite a lot of pain. Fortunately, a visit to a wine tasting was planned for that day. I didn't have to walk as much as a day of fishing. The next day we were taken by boat to a fly fishing lodge and I made quite a few miles along the river. I paid the price for that the next day. I couldn't take another step and my leg was thick and black. I was taken by helicopter to a private clinic. After photos were taken, I was treated there for another six days. It had then recovered to the point where it was safe to go fly fishing again. In a private plane they flew me south over the Andes, to rejoin Mel. In that small plane, I struck up a conversation with a man who said he was an avid fly fisherman. It turned out to be Jack Hemingway. He was equally surprised to meet me, for he turned out to be a great lover of my reels. He even had some of my early models. We agreed that two months later we would go fishing together in Iceland."
POSITIVE After his return from Chile, Ari developed heart problems. He had to undergo major surgery on December 1, 2000, but was not resigned: “I am always very positive and always try to cheer everyone up and use humor in a hospital. They would give me five bypasses and a new heart valve. I discussed with the doctor the choice between a metal heart valve and a pig valve. The doctor explained the pros and cons of both. For example, with a metal valve you have to go to the thrombosis service for the rest of your life. A biological valve wears out faster. I was out quickly and told the cardiologist I didn't want a metal valve. The man asked me somewhat surprised why I made that choice, to which I said that I should not think about asking the first grizzly somewhere in British Columbia where I can find the thrombosis service.” Before performing the heart surgery, Ari was also made a brain scan: “I got those stickers on my head and after the EEG was made, I asked the nurse if I might be a moron. She took it very seriously and told me she had never seen anything like it: my brain seemed to be like a thirty-year-old's, to which I said she hadn't seen the rest!”
ICELAND Ari's surgery on December 1, 2000 went well, although he did have a precarious moment during his recovery in the hospital: “Because for such an operation your entire chest is opened, you have to be very careful with sneezing and coughing for the first few days after the operation. You have a pillow with you especially for this, which in those cases you have to gently press against your chest to distribute the pressure. If the wound were to open, you could bleed to death within a short time. However, when I felt that I had to cough, the pillow was just a little too far away from me. I then put my arms carefully, but firmly, around myself and coughed. Fortunately it went well.” The most incredible thing, however, was when Ari came back to have the staples removed from his chest: “The nurse was fidgeting with a pair of forceps and couldn't get the first staple off. She pushed it in further, rather than removing the staple. In the end I asked for the pliers and did it myself. As I recovered from my surgery, I realized I hadn't heard from Jack Hemingway at all. Of course I wouldn't have been able to go to Iceland with him, but we had made a serious deal and I didn't think it would be like him not to go back on it. Shortly afterward, I received a newspaper clipping from his wife that saddened me that Jack had passed away on December 1, 2000. He had had surgery on his heart. During his recovery he had to sneeze, but could not reach the pillow...” Ari made a speedy recovery and, not quite according to the doctors' wishes, drifted down a river in British Columbia four months after the surgery date.
HOLZ EN VLAGZALM
Ari would go fishing for grayling in Austria:
“My Austrian friend Willy Forstinger was invited by a local notary to spend a day fishing for grayling on his private stretch of the Pielach. Willy had arranged for me to come along too. Willy knew, however, that there were quite a few huchens on that stretch of river. Because the notary was not there that day, we agreed that we would secretly fish through a number of pools with a large streamer. It was high summer and the unexpected happened. We immediately caught some beautiful huchen. The largest weighed 12 pounds! Of course we couldn't stop. We fished all day with our heavy rods and large streamers and had already caught 12 together when the notary arrived. Fortunately, he called to us from a distance, so that we could quickly cut the streamers from our leaders. When he came to us and asked how we found his grayling water, we assured him that we had never seen such amazing grayling water.”
After a day of fishing with Hans-Ruedi Hebeisen, Ari's wine knowledge was put to the test:
“Hans-Ruedi had prepared a dish especially for me with rabbit, which he shot himself. When we sat down to dinner, he asked if I would like a matching wine.
Hans-Ruedi is a real wine connoisseur and a great lover of exclusive wines, so refusing was not an option. When he opened an expensive bottle and took a sip, he yelled"Holz."
When he poured a little into a glass for me, I shouted “Holz” too. Hans-Ruedi opened another bottle and dinner began.
Afterwards Hans-Ruedi asked me if everything had been to my liking. I told him I had a great meal and asked him what 'Holz' actually means."
The story has now taken on a life of its own in Austria in a group of fly fishing friends and is becoming more and more inflated.
ARI'S REELS ARE NOT FOR EVERYONE
In 2011, Ari was invited to speak in San Francisco at the Gravity Free conference themed:
Wonders of Magical Thinkers.
During that meeting, 22 internationally renowned designers were invited to speak about their field:
“The great thing about this conference is that, in addition to the presentations, there is also room for interaction between the speakers themselves and between the audience and the speakers. One of the other designers asked me if he could buy one of my reels. When I asked where he was fly-fishing, the man told me he wasn't fly-fishing at all. He made it clear that he thought it was a beautiful design and wanted to include the reel in his art collection at home. I have rarely received a greater compliment for my designs.”
Ari also meets other 'interested' people:
“At every fair, or it's now in Denver, Salt Lake City or Amsterdam, are you one of those types against those who come by to be interesting and really just want to talk for the sake of talking. It starts with showing interest in a particular reel. If you give them the reel from the display case, they will say after a few minutes that it is a bit too modern for them. Then someone like that comes by again an hour later and asks for the reel again. It's the color she doesn't really like. When they come back for the third time and stand with the reel in their hands, they say hesitantly that the design is actually not that bad and that they might also get used to the color. At such a moment I don't even want to sell the reel anymore and then I invariably make the comment that my reels are not for everyone. I then put the reel back in the display case and add that it will remain closed for that person for the rest of the fair.”
People sometimes ask Ari how much work goes into a new reel. His answer says it all: “I design and create a new reel design in 2 days... and 50 years.”
