Jim Murphy, a true fly-fishing Renaissance man and leader of an astonishing number of angling brands over the years, passed away on January 21 after a long illness. At the time of his death, Murphy was the Director of Fly Fishing for Pure Fishing—which owns iconic brands such as Hardy, Greys, Pfleuger, and Fenwick—but his history in the business goes all the way back to 1989, when he went to work for Thomas & Thomas.
Three years later, Murphy moved his family from Massachusetts to Stuart, Florida, where he and David Redington launched Redington Fly Rods with the intention of building high-quality rods at reasonable prices. After selling Redington to Orvis (which later sold it to Sage), Murphy joined Hardy North America for several years before launching another fly-rod brand, Albright Tackle, in 2003. Albright pioneered a direct-to-consumer model and featured rods that offered good value for the money.
In 2008, he returned to Hardy North America as President before helping to launch a third company, Douglas Outdoors, along with the Barclay family in Upstate New York. Murphy served as President of Douglas for almost two years before heading west to Montana, where he became the Sales Manager for R.L. Winston and Bauer Fly Reels. (Are you keeping up?) He rose to Vice President of the company before he left in 2019, eventually landing his final job at Pure Fishing that same year.
Murphy was a force for innovation throughout his career, introducing new technologies at almost every stop along the way. A savvy businessman and great salesman, he was the ultimate mover and shaker, and I always enjoyed talking to him. He could talk at length about a lot more than fly fishing, covering topics as wide-ranging as sailing and literature. (Before jumping into fly fishing, he had worked in academic libraries and owned a bookstore.) His deep knowledge of the fishing industry and his good humor will be missed by all who knew him.
Joe Schlosser, Chief Product and Brand Officer at Pure Fishing, said:
Jim carried the Hardy legacy with pride and care. He understood what made the brand special and made sure others understood it too. He knew the sport, the craft, and the community at a deep level. We will miss his voice, his steady presence, and his friendship. Our thoughts are with his family and with the many people in fly fishing who will feel this loss.
Jim is survived by his beloved wife, Tess, and four sons.
Trending Products
