Gerri Carlson spent 20 years as a teacher, the last two years in the Czech Republic where she was a Peace Corps volunteer.
Gerri Carlson spent 20 years as a teacher, the last two years in the Czech Republic where she was a Peace Corps volunteer.
Tom Morgan Rodsmiths, our company, evolved from a dream of mine. I have always strived to make beautiful fly rods that provided anglers with extraordinary fishing instruments. For several years I have dreamed of building a limited number of superior graphite rods for appreciative anglers- rods that would not be limited by cost or materials. Rods that I would fine-tune until their actions were perfect. I believe that I have achieved that goal. The rods here are simply the best I have ever designed and built.
I planned on making these rods myself but something better happened. Gerri Carlson and I became partners in life and in the Rod Company. Gerri spent 20 years as a teacher, the last two years in the Czech Republic where she was a Peace Corps volunteer. She has always been interested in developing a craft where she could utilize her mechanical skills and her eye for detail and design. She wanted to apprentice with a renowned Czech violinmaker, but it wasn't possible. The opportunity to join with me in our new rod company is a dream come true for her too.
I chose graphite as our material for these original rods because it has all of the characteristics necessary to make a wonderful fishing rod. It is strong, lightweight, durable, sensitive and efficient. Gerri and I are presenting our graphite rods with a beauty that hasn't been done before in celebration of the fantastic rod building material that it is. With my design capabilities, and our aesthetic creativity, we've made for you one of the sweetest rods ever.
A recent addition to our company is the Morgan Bamboo Hand Mill. I have invented a revolutionary method of hand planing bamboo strips that makes the cutting easier and faster than the traditional method. In recent years there has been a resurgence in bamboo rodmaking and my Hand Mill has provided a new way to build rods allowing many more people to enjoy this wonderful hobby.
Since I invented the Hand Mill Gerri and I have decided to make bamboo rods and are in the process of completing our bamboo shop. Our goals in producing bamboo rods are modest. We are going to make about fifteen rods per year in trout sizes. Once again, our intention is to make rods that are great for fishing while being exceptionally beautiful.
Our house and shop are located in southwestern Montana just west of Bozeman in the heart of great fishing country. We invite you to stop by our shop when you're in our area. We'll have rods available for you to cast, reels to handle, and a Hand Mill set up for you to examine and to cut some bamboo strips. Please call for an appointment to ensure we'll be here to give you a tour.
Tom Morgan
