Author: Paul Arden

I am no 16 HT 6. I am owned by Tim Kempton from Brisbane Australia who has the 4,6,8,10 series and now 12 HT for brutal testing.  I am privileged because I have caught four trophy species in three months.  I have entered the HT6 Trophy Challenge ..four trophy fish in four months

Trophy 1. Brown trout

In January 2091 I went to New Zealand and fished the Ngongotaha which flows into Lake Rotorua in New Zealand. Lake Rotorua is a shallow lake, and during summer the 20m depth  temperatures can rise to above 21C.  The fish then move into the cold water streams,. The Ngongotaha is a narrow stream, covered in trees and blackberry bushes.  Overhead and roll casting is nearly impossible and so we had to wade the steam and sneak up behind the fish to within two rod lengths to cast a hopper using the bow and arrow cast. Accuracy was paramount.  Place the hopper within 200 cm in front of the fish to force the trout make a decision and take the fly. Then all hell breaks loose the mainly brown trout are 8-15lb and go ballistic.  I was fitted with a WF6F Rio Gold flyline, and a 20lb leader. There was no finesse..this was not gentleman trout fishing with a fly rod…this was warfare.  Last year a very large brown trout (est 15lb) ran under a log and bent my tip double…it smashed my top section…so I had a trip back to England for repairs…at least I got a window seat.  This year I landed at least 8 big trout, the biggest 85cm and well over 10lb…real stonkers.

Ratings:

• Casting.                                              Bow and Arrow
• Fish on the reel.                               0 (no time).
• Fight time                                          20secs.
• Chance of getting broken:            70%
• Adrenalin factor :                             95%

HTO Competition 2019 – these are the Rules.

An HT6 hot of the rack. Remember all custom work is included in your price. Your name can be added (we use a slide decal), different rings, whipping colours, change of grip. This HT6 has a hook keeper ring! I may be mistaken but I believe that this is the only Hot Torpedo with a keeper ring! We don’t fit them as standard but you only need to ask 😀

https://www.sexyloops.com/index.php/webshop/list/70/fly-rods

Great to see that Eddie and Steven are now both 4 set HT owners. Thanks guys!

A drawer full of Hot Torpedo cork back at the UK Sexyloops workshop. Contrary to what you may believe, it is still possible to acquire excellent cork grips! And we do fit the best.

How can we afford to do this when the big companies can’t? It’s because we are the retailer as well as the manufacturer. This allows us to build you a far more expensive rod for the same top end price. We could have made a “same quality as everyone else rod” but for a cheaper price  but I didn’t want to do that. It’s much more interesting to try to make the best!

It’s not just cork of course, but the highest quality carbon blanks, titanium framed stripping guides, Recoils, Torzites or H&H rings, Rec Components fittings and rod tubes and incredible workmanship, hand-built by my colleague and outstanding rod builder, Lee Martell in Hastings.

The only comparison that you can make between Sage, Scott and Loomis – all excellent companies and all of which I’ve been involved with in the past (for one thing, I’ve demonstrated with all three companies’ rods over the past 25 years)… the only comparison you can make is a similar USD selling price. Quality wise they can’t afford to match us.

But where we are truly different, in my opinion, is that we have better blanks. But hey that’s the bit I do, so I would think that! 😀 I’m not going to design a blank that I think is worse am I?!

You can see all of our rods here .

Incidentally I’ve almost finalised the 7’6 3/4WT. I have two rods to take jungle fishing for Mahseer shortly.  Only Sexyloops rods are designed in the field where the tester may get eaten by a tiger! Those are the lengths we go to to bring you a better rod. 😀

Cheers, Paul

It’s great to see a rod with this decal!

I’m flat out this week but next week I shall be starting the 2019 HT competition. This time I want to hear your rod/s story from the point of view of your rod!!! Stu Tripney had an entry like this in last competition and so now we would like to hear from the other rods out there!

Thanks, Paul

“Call me Ishmael” 😀

A very sexy looking Instructor rod off to Martin in Denmark.

A couple of HT10s for the Sinclairs. Won’t be long now and they’ll both have the complete collection! 😀

Top work from Lee Martell.

Fantastic couple of Kingfish for Chuan on his HT10 😀

Hot off the bench and on its way to Canada. The Instructor 6 – a tool that students can see – because your students are worth it! 🙂

You can read the reviews here.

Posting out a rod is like a sending a child out into the world. It’s always exciting – and I enjoy hearing of its experiences!