Paul Arden | Tuesday, 21 September 2021
Man, where does all the time fly? So, tomorrow actually, Sexyloops turns 23. In two more years, by which time I assume international travel will be permitted again (!) we plan an exciting gathering to celebrate 25 years, which we will have here in the jungles of Malaysia - there are several resorts so you won’t all have to sleep on the roof of the Battleship.
A hell of a lot of water passes under the bridge in 23 years. A very large part of Sexyloops has been our readership and communities. I say “communities” with a plural because we’ve had about four, as one might expect over such an extended time.
Front Page writers have been many over the years. Some have lasted a few months, many a year, and then we have the long term writers, who last much longer! Viking Lars has been writing for Sexyloops week in week out for almost as long as I have!
And that’s really how it all works. Sharing information and exchanging ideas only works if there are people sharing and others reading! So really a HUGE THANK YOU to all you readers and all of our wonderful FP contributors over the past two decades who have made Sexyloops what it is today. :)))
Often we take what we learn for granted but I think that's a mistake. I think when we learn something it becomes our responsibility to then share it. Otherwise what’s the point? And this way we also build friendships and connections, which is in a large part what life is really all about: learning, sharing, friendships and fly fishing!
The next phase of Sexyloops, starting in about 5 years time, I expect to be my most interesting contribution! The plan is to buy a 44’ Catamaran and head off Imaginary SWFFing for 10-15 years. Which will also give me the opportunity to fish countries I haven’t yet visited (I’m thinking those in South America in particular) and revisit some I already have. But between now and then I have to sell a bunch of Torpedos and do plenty of Snakehead guiding. We just need to get over this pandemic, and all the current travel restrictions, to start making this a reality!
And that, I think, is one of the secrets to keeping Sexyloops interesting… never do the same thing twice, or once even! (Remember that one?! Six-pound Sean will!) But actually it’s much more than that; it’s how to keep life interesting too; changing, evolving and reinventing ourselves simply makes life more fun - well that's what I reckon! Problems, challenges, things not working out as expected, are all opportunities to do something different and often better :)))
Today I’m uploading a video on a teaching drill that I’ve been using for 25 years, or slightly longer than Sexyloops has been around. It’s really about starting with a short line length and using minimum force to form the loop. Many people never learn to cast the rod in “first gear” and try to do everything in third gear! And then when the rod/line doesn’t perform as expected in their third gear Stroke they use a heavier line to change what would be second gear into third gear. If they had stated in first gear however they wouldn’t need to do this. In oither words it is all part of the Variable Casting Arc.
However this drill is not really about tackle. It’s about learning Casting Stroke adjustments starting from a short fishable line, which then allows us to match our stroke to the tackle in hand. If you can get everything under control from the start, it makes life very much easier when you carry more line. I’ve been using this exercise to teach since I first started instructing and I actually think it’s my most important drill. It fits in very nicely between Lee Cummings’ “Triangle Method” and Wild Bill Gammel’s “One foot at a time” exercise as well.
Have an excellent week. Feel free to contact me on paul@sexyloops.com... and now, if I might add, is an excellent time to buy a new fly rod! In fact it’s always a good time to buy a new fly rod if it's a Hot Torpedo! :))) If your heart is set on a new 5WT then wait a few months because we are getting ready to launch the HT5! Also, important information for you Sexyloops readers in the EU, we now have an additional rod builder who is based in the EU in order to avoid Brexit-related tariffs and import delays. I think you’ll all appreciate that :)))
Happy Birthday Sexyloops!
Cheers, Paul