ENTRY NO.10 – Pat Brennan

In 2012 I began my journey towards FFFCCI certification. I worked for many hours on my casting and teaching techniques in my lunch breaks, after work and on the weekends. I had many friends and fellow fly fishers offer their assistance and had one MCI candidate in particular offer a huge amount of help. I enlisted the help of a mentor and together we reviewed the test, practiced and polished my practical and teaching technique.

Around about this time a new rod was being developed on the other side of the world, to be called the Sexyloops Hot Torpedo. I watched the development, read the early reviews, and thought this sounds like the type of rod I would like to own. I made a promise to myself that if I passed my CI test I would reward myself with a white Sexyloops Hot Torpedo Instructor rod.

So after many years as a fly fisher and a solid 12 months dedicated towards certification I sat the test at Hayes on Brumby in Cressy Tasmania. A great facility for fly fishermen run by an equally great guy, Peter Hayes.

As luck would have it, I passed both the practical and written tests that day and was awarded the CI designation. I wasted no time after that and placed my order for the rod. I waited patiently here in Australia for the rod to arrive, we are used to waiting for things in Australia being so far away from everywhere else.

When the rod arrived, I was very happy with it. The finish on the components was excellent and the casting action of the rod even better. It has become my number one practice rod and I use it when demonstrating and teaching these days. All too infrequently due to work and family commitments. So that is the story of how HT No20 came to live in Australia.

But what is a rod if it does not get fished? I have used the rod to fish many times, in both fresh and saltwater and have caught many different species with it. The white blank hasn’t been a disadvantage as I thought it might be fishing but I haven’t used it on a technical trout stream where that might make a difference. Most of my trips are saltwater or freshwater Australian natives. Probably my favourite trip with this rod was bone fishing on Christmas Island. I have attached a photo of a bone fish caught on that trip.

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