The Inspiration
John Haywood Bradley
J. Haywood Bradley was my great-grandfather. If you were in Fort Smith, Arkansas in the 1950s, there’s a good chance you would have seen him heading out of town with my uncle in the passenger seat. John knew that the best time to go fishing was when you could, and it was why he kept a 4 horse outboard and a tackle box in the trunk of his sedan. When I founded Haywood Fly Co. I wanted each of my rods to transport an angler from the busy, distracted world to that time from a decade past on a pond with John.
Ross Bradley — Owner & Rod maker
An old Orvis 99 introduced me to bamboo rods. And a group of patient and generous builders got me hooked. I fell in love with the process and craft of shaping a culm of bamboo into a beautiful and functional piece of tackle, and in 2023 I founded Haywood Fly Co. and began rod making full-time.
In my previous career as an advertising art director, I developed a deep attention to detail and aesthetics. That focus on perfection paired with an eye to design encompasses my approach to rod building — the science of taper with the art of finishing.
Home Waters
The Ozarks are my proving grounds. Within a couple hours, I’m lucky to have everything from tiny spring creeks with wild rainbows, to large tailwaters and monster trout. Throw in meandering warm water rivers holding trophy Smallmouth and lakes where the wind seems to always blow, and I have the perfect environment to test and tweak rod designs.
I deeply believe in helping an angler find a rod that matches them and their angling goals—from length and line weight to a taper that compliments their casting style. I’ve spent many hours developing my own tapers, researching the history and science of fly rod design, and learning how different parts of a rod feel and respond to casting inputs. It is a joy to watch someone cast a rod and rediscover a sport they’ve engaged with for years.