About MRG

Montana Rodmakers Guild is a workshop and community dedicated to the art and craft of bamboo fly rods. We offer in-depth, hands-on instruction in making bamboo rods from raw culm to finished masterpiece—guiding students through every step, from splitting, heat-treating, planing and finishing.

We also design and manufacture a high-precision hand plane specifically engineered for bamboo rod making—an essential tool for both novice and experienced makers. In addition to our classes and tools, we offer a select line of custom, handcrafted bamboo rods, crafted with the same attention to detail that defines everything we do.

Rooted in tradition and driven by craftsmanship, Montana Rodmakers Guild is where passion meets precision in the world of bamboo fly rods.

About Ric

After purchasing a Morgan Handmill in 2009, I had the privilege of joining Tom Morgan Rodsmiths in 2014, where I combined 20 years of precision machining experience with a lifelong passion for teaching. As Technical Director for Montana Youth Soccer, I licensed over 2,500 coaches — a background that made transitioning to bamboo rodmaking instruction feel second nature.

At TMR, I built over 100 bamboo fly rods and led every rodmaking class, mentoring more than 150 aspiring craftsmen. Now, as the founder of the Montana Rodmakers Guild, I continue teaching bamboo rodmaking, producing my own line of custom bamboo fly rods, and refining the original Morgan Handmill — now reimagined as the Bamboo Hand Plane.

 

About Bob

A native Montanan, Robert Friedrich grew up in the ranching country of the northeast plains and later settled in the Gallatin Valley. A lifelong fly angler and former graphite rod builder, Bob discovered bamboo rodmaking in retirement through a one-on-one class with Ric Plante. He quickly immersed himself in the craft, building over 120 bamboo rods in six years.

Bob specializes in both traditional hexagonal and five-sided “Penta” rods, ranging from 7’ travel rods to 12’ spey rods. He also incorporates lightweight, sleeved bamboo ferrules into his builds — a unique and challenging feature. As Bob puts it: “I used to assemble graphite rods from catalog parts. Now I make bamboo rods from scratch.”