Tom Helgeson passes

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http://www.mwfly.com/contents.html

EDITOR/PUBLISHER Tom Helgeson has been a professional journalist and editor for the past 35 years. He founded Midwest Fly Fishing magazine in 1994. Helgeson grew up in Redwood Falls, Minn., where he learned to appreciate life in the outdoors. He regularly fly fishes the rivers and streams of west central Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota for trout and smallmouth. He has fly fished in Alaska each summer for more than 20 years and currently sponsors a trip to Kodiak Island for fall-run steelhead. Each spring he fly fishes for tarpon in the Florida Keys; occasionally he catches one.
Tom lost his battle with cancer yesterday.

Tom will be sorely missed by all. His family will be in our prayers.

Great Waters 2010
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This is a shame. My sympathies to his family and friends.

Dear members and friends,
This past Friday (11/12/10) evening we lost a friend and great
contributor to the fly fishing community, Tom Helgeson. As many of
you know, he was courageously fighting cancer this past year. Tom was
a professional jounalist for the past 35 years, he was the
Editor/Publisher and founder of Midwest Fly Fishing Magazine, he was
also the owner of The Great Water Fly Fishing Expo and the Vermilion
Sporting Arts Gallery, and had a passion for environmental issues.
Tom fly fished for trout and smallmouth in his home waters of
Minnesota and Wisconsin, and has taken numerous fly fishing trips to
Alaska for steelhead and to the Florida Keys for Tarpon.

Service will be held next Saturday November 20, 2010, at 2pm at Gloria Dei Lutheran
Church, 700 Snelling Ave, So, St. Paul MN.

Respectfully yours
Chris "Critter" Sprau, Treasurer

--
St. Paul Fly Tier's & Fisherman's Club
Meetings are 7:30 PM on Thursday nights at Schroeder's Bar & Grill
605 Front Ave. Saint Paul, MN 55117

No wonder he wasn't returning my emails. So very sad. In my opinion, Tom put out one of the all time best FF mags around. (Midwest Fly Fishing) This will leave a big hole in the hearts of many and he will be missed.

For Tom's many friends here are several items from Twin Cities' newspapers:

http://blogs.twincities.com/outdoors...-to-tom-h.html

http://www.startribune.com/sports/ou...7PQLanchO7DiUr

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sta...&pid=146659629

I was sadden when I read in the Tuesday St. Paul Pioneer Press, that Tom Helgeson had died at the age of 71 from pneumonia, a complication of the lung cancer he has battled since July. Editor and Publisher of the "Midwest Fly Fishing" magazine, and founder for the "Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo"! Tom was at the center of the Fly Fishing Community in the Twin Cites, and 5 State area. His Midwest Fly Fishing Magazine, help fly angler's over the central United States.

Chris Niskanen, a outdoor writer for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, has collected numerous tributes and memories from Tom Helgeson's friends and posted them on his blog, Outdoor Now, along with photos from the Pioneer Press archives. Which you can view by visiting

http://blogs.twincities.com/outdoors...-to-tom-h.html

Tom will be missed by thousands of brothers and sisters of the long rod.....and we will be eternally in debt for the wonderful work and mentoring done by Tom Helgeson!

Sorry for reposting this topic here, I just learned of this news yesterday and was not sure that it had been posted on here yet. Tom was a great friend to many midwestern fly fishermen including myself. I had been helping Tom advertise the Great Waters Expo here in Iowa for the last few years and he is one of the few people that I could call a true friend.
Scott

Tom believed that the community of anglers is its own greatest asset. He dared both to have fun and to insight action. In this world where we sometimes feel isolated, he called like-minded people together. He answered his own phone. His voice for stewardship was matched with actions. He brought generosity and kindness and support to new heights. He loved his friends, his family, the Midwest streams, Montana, Alaska, and elusive tarpon, cane rods, good reels, and a well crafted story.

When I talked to him last week, he had a list, more ideas, and maybe that's part of his legacy; planting the seeds, starting the lists, leading so many of us as far as he could, toward a richer, fuller life.

Kat

Whether Midwest Fly Fishing Magazine continues or not, it won't be the same without Tom at the helm. His was the first column I would read whenever the latest edition arrived in the mail.

Dave