I first met Tom Morgan in 1998, when he asked for some help with the Tom Morgan Rodsmiths Web site (www.troutrods.com). I was lucky enough to meet Tom and his wife Gerri at his elegant but modest home near Bozeman, Montana, and to hear Tom describe his operation first-hand. I had little knowledge of Tom's role in the moving of R.L. Winston Twin Bridges, and only heard later of his prowess at rod design. (Now I am fortunate to fish with a custom rod made from an original Morgan blank; it is, simply, the sweetest trout rod I own.)
In December, Monte Burke wrote a bright and detailed story on Morgan and his success at continuing to build great rods despite a devastating battle with MS, which Burke compares to Beethoven's loss of his hearing. "Facing a raft of medical bills and uncertainty about the future, Morgan petitioned David Ondaatje, the owner of Winston, to release him from the noncompete clause. Ondaatje gave his assent. That allowed Morgan to start Tom Morgan Rodsmiths in 1996. At that point, Morgan was unable to cast a rod from his wheelchair and needed 24-hour care. 'We didn't plan it like this,' says Carlson. 'It just turned out this way.' They were married in 1996." On Forbes.com.
(Back in June 2007, MidCurrent noted another extended profile of Morgan in the Billings Gazette. Worth reading if only to explore the concept of being willing to "throw away one's work.")
Whenever I begin to feel sorry for myself I think of Tom Morgan and all he has dealt with in his life.
I have had the pleasure of knowing Tom since 1980;
he has a perpetual good outlook.