Industry Legend Jim Murphy Passes Away

Jim Murphy, a real fly-fishing Renaissance man and chief of an astonishing variety of angling manufacturers through the years, handed away on January 21 after a protracted sickness. On the time of his dying, Murphy was the Director of Fly Fishing for Pure Fishing—which owns iconic manufacturers akin to Hardy, Greys, Pfleuger, and Fenwick—however his historical past within the enterprise goes all the way in which again to 1989, when he went to work for Thomas & Thomas.

Three years later, Murphy moved his household from Massachusetts to Stuart, Florida, the place he and David Redington launched Redington Fly Rods with the intention of constructing high-quality rods at cheap costs. After promoting Redington to Orvis (which later bought it to Sage), Murphy joined Hardy North America for a number of years earlier than launching one other fly-rod model, Albright Deal with, in 2003. Albright pioneered a direct-to-consumer mannequin and featured rods that provided good worth for the cash.

In 2008, he returned to Hardy North America as President earlier than serving to to launch a third firm, Douglas Open air, together with the Barclay household in Upstate New York. Murphy served as President of Douglas for nearly two years earlier than heading west to Montana, the place he turned the Gross sales Supervisor for R.L. Winston and Bauer Fly Reels. (Are you maintaining?) He rose to Vice President of the corporate earlier than he left in 2019, finally touchdown his last job at Pure Fishing that very same yr.

Murphy was a drive for innovation all through his profession, introducing new applied sciences at nearly each cease alongside the way in which. A savvy businessman and nice salesman, he was the final word mover and shaker, and I all the time loved speaking to him. He may speak at size about much more than fly fishing, protecting matters as wide-ranging as crusing and literature. (Earlier than leaping into fly fishing, he had labored in tutorial libraries and owned a bookstore.) His deep data of the fishing trade and his good humor shall be missed by all who knew him.

Joe Schlosser, Chief Product and Model Officer at Pure Fishing, stated: 

Jim carried the Hardy legacy with satisfaction and care. He understood what made the model particular and made positive others understood it too. He knew the game, the craft, and the group at a deep stage. We’ll miss his voice, his regular presence, and his friendship. Our ideas are along with his household and with the many individuals in fly fishing who will really feel this loss.

Jim is survived by his beloved spouse, Tess, and 4 sons.