Sexyloops HT 6 and Stonker Carp

Carp are an invasive species in Australian waterways and lakes. They are declared a noxious pest and must be destroyed. There are annual carp buster days in many dams and waterways to catch and destroy as many as possible.  There are some commercial enterprises that make fish fertiliser from carp.  Carp are active in the summer months.

In my quest to catch unusual species as in 2019, I embarked on an early morning trip to a local dam in South East Queensland.  I was armed with a HT 6, WF6F line,  a 12lb leader and a shrimp fly. As we were walking the banks and sight fishing, we had to wait until the sun was high enough to spot fish. There were plenty cruising 10-20’ from the bank. Stealthy stalking and casting was required, as these fish easily spooked. Once they saw the fly, they either ignored it or attacked with gusto. 

The best fish were 70-75 cm and 10-15lb. Their power was amazing!. Runs to the backing were commonplace. The trick was to keep rolling the fish by changing direction. All went well in clear open water. Busted leaders and lost fish was a common result in the timber.

This is exceptional sight fishing.  It seemed strange to a dedicated catch and release fisherman to kill the captured fish and leave it rot on the bank.  After all they are a pest.

Destined for Down-Under

The mid-summer lull is well and truly over and we are flat out again. This is the busy time of year for orders from New Zealand and Australia. The HT6 was designed specifically with NZ Backcountry fishing in mind, the HT4 is the perfect stillwater trout flats rod, the HT8 is spot on for Kahawai and the HT10 is your ultimate fly rod for Kingfish… but I digress 🙂 🙂

This particular HT10 I’ve just posted to Australia. In three weeks from now it will be fishing Hinchenbrook for a wide range of fish and hopefully a few Permit! I took the original prototype HT10 to Australia some years ago and caught Permit using it on both coasts – North of Cairns around Claremont Islands on the East Coast and Exmouth in Western Australia.

Incidentally we do try to carry stock and not only manufacture custom rods to order. This particular rod was part of my Malaysia stock. So I’ll be replacing that as soon as possible!

And remember, if you are a Hot Torpedo owner you can win another one – just send us your story!