Morgan died of pneumonia Monday in a hospital not far from his home, said Matt Barber, who bought Morgan’s company, Tom Morgan Rodsmiths, earlier this year with Joel Doub. For the past five months, Barber and Doub have been Morgan’s apprentices in Morgan’s home workshop west of Bozeman to learn how to craft perfect bamboo, graphite and fiberglass rods.

“Tom’s legacy will be that he really brought modern rod building to the forefront, and a lot of his designs at Winston will be remembered forever,” Barber said.

Morgan’s philosophy was to make the best fly rod possible, regardless of cost – every detail, fit and finish had to be perfect, Barber said. While other fly rod manufacturers were producing stiffer rods that are forgiving when handled by beginner anglers, Morgan created full-flex rods that acted almost as an extension of the arm of experienced fly fishermen. Full story.

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