Callum Ross

Callum Ross

Callum has been making fly rods for over 25 years and sets the bar high as one of Australia’s finest bamboo fly rod makers. He also makes fibreglass fly rods with similar exquisite detailing and quality, but bamboo has always been the primary focus. 

Callum’s work, in terms of philosophy, process and production, is defined on his web site, Indi River Rods:[1]

“Indi River Rods began in one form or another around 1997 when I first read that it was possible to make your own bamboo fly rod. At that point in time, I had never fished with a bamboo rod, but was intrigued by the process and the resultant aesthetics that the material offers. A gradual search for information, purchasing supplies and collecting and making the tools needed, saw the first rods slowly take shape.

“Over time I have experimented with tapers, glue options and finishes; all of the things that rod makers spend their time worrying about. In the end it is the ability to explore what the rods can do and how they cast that keeps me coming back to plane the next one.

“Bamboo offers the ability to tailor a rod to circumstances and often it is this thought process that guides what rods I make. They are not intended to be special occasion tools, to be used sparingly or locked away out of sight. Bamboo is a legitimate rod material that deserves to be fished and enjoyed as often as possible.

“Contemporary bamboo rod makers around the world are doing some amazing work, not just to keep the craft alive, but to help it enjoy a renaissance. My website is intended to show some of the rods I make and to promote bamboo rods in general. It also aims to document the waters I fish, the friends I fish with and the trips I take. Fly fishing is not one dimensional and anyone who catches a fish on a fly they have tied themselves knows that. Some of us just decide to take it a little further.”

Callum started out building bamboo fly rods by himself, effectively in a vacuum. He had a copy of Jack Howell’s The Lovely Reed, the Rodmakers’ List-Serve and the Internet, and he experimented with a lot of trial and error – learning by doing. With bamboo hard to source, the two initial culms were obtained from Tony Young who also provided pointers on making adjustable timber planing forms. These were later replaced by locally machined steel forms into which he filed the groove, and then followed the acquisition of a set of Bellinger planing forms, as part of a group buy, organised by a range of Australian makers.

Early in the process Callum made contact with Peter McKean via the List-Serve. They corresponded over the years, sometimes sending rods to one another when discussions of tapers arose. Callum finally met Peter in person on his first visit to Cressy Cane in 2016. It was Peter who put Callum in contact with Nick Taransky, and during their formative years, the duo shared resources and knowledge and spent time fishing together.

Callum makes bespoke fly rods on commission but primarily focuses his taper decisions on a desire to explore offerings from a range of makers. He is motivated to understand how they can meet the specific needs of the rivers and creeks that he has fished in the Snowy Mountains of Australia since 1986. The rods he produces are characterised by an understated aesthetic with untipped silk wraps, burl reel seat fillers and bright nickel silver hardware. While predominantly planed from Tonkin, Nick’s influence has resulted in some experimentation with Madake. Following the 2018 Cressy Cane gathering, Callum purchased a Morgan Hand Mill from Peter Hayes and this has become the primary rod making tool, allowing him to make quad as well as hex rods.

Rod types include longer (up to 8ft) 5 weight rods for waters like the Thredbo River, 3 and 4 weight rods in the 7-foot range for the open Alpine creeks and shorter rods in the 6-foot range for the tighter, enclosed feeder streams. While there is no single past master whose tapers dominate Callum’s thinking, a 7’6” for a #4 line is always a good starting point.

[1]  https://indiriverrods.com