Tom Dorsey, one of the two Toms that founded the Thomas & Thomas rod company would be one of my 'heroes' of rod making. The reason for that is because Tom has, very quietly, been responsible for some of the best rod tapers ever designed. He began his career many years ago in bamboo. When fiberglass & graphite took over the fishing tackle scene as the main rod materials, he - unlike any other rod maker ever - adapted to these new materials like a master. Many, if not most, of the fly rods we all enjoy using today have been influenced in their designs by Mr. Dorsey. No other rod maker has done what he has done.
I'm proud to make custom rods on Thomas & Thomas blanks along with all the other fine rod blanks I use. These T&T blanks are the top-shelf of synthetic rod blanks & they always perform the way they claim to. I also offer a fiberglass rod on their Heirloom glass blanks as well. I've never had a problem with any T&T synthetic blank & both me & the person I've made the rods for have always been more then pleased with the rod's performance. That's a testament to Tom Dorsey's rod designs.
Below is a short promotional video for T&T, featuring some beautiful fishing & Tom Dorsey himself. No, I don't have hardly any rod-maker 'heroes', but Tom is the exception among all of us rod makers!!