Gary was a machinist by trade before he got into rod designing. A devout angler all his life, he was always in search of his ideal rod. So he set about to make it himself. What resulted from that was the rods & company we all know today.
His first foray into rod design was at the Lamiglass company. There he oversaw the production of all their rod blanks. Eventually, Gary would go out on his own & ended up designing some very fine rods.
Above all his accomplishments in the world of rod design, Gary started a non-profit group call Fish First, which works with volunteers to restore wild & native runs of salmon & steel head in the Lewis River Basin in Washington state. This is a fantastic program that is working to make sure anglers have runs of fish to pursue for generations to come.
I've always admired Gary Loomis. As a rod maker I think some of his designs are very good. Plus, there's a G.Loomis rod for just about any fishing situation. Not all companies can do that. I've made fly rods on Loomis blanks & so far have not been disappointed with them.
Here is a short video about Gary & his company (with historical info) from the International Game Fish Association. I think you'll find it interesting.