THE GREAT SEXYLOOPS HOT TORPEDO COMPETITION 2017

THE GREAT SEXYLOOPS HOT TORPEDO COMPETITION 2017

Paul Arden | Monday, 24 April 2017

We are very pleased to announce the exciting Hot Torpedo Owners' Club competition where YOU can win a brand spanking new Fast-Feel Sexyloops Hot Torpedo fly rod of a line weight and build of your choice. To enter send us your best Hot Torpedo story, photo or even a movie - it can be an incredible fish moment, or loss, inspiration to invent a new cast, or indeed diving into a river to save your rod/fish/girlfriend, or perhaps a great teaching story - accompanied with photos of the your Hot Torpedo (a really great photo can win in its own right and it's always going to get you points!). We will publish your stories and or photos as they come in and the very best story/photo will win the grand Hot Torpedo prize.

Rules:

1) your story/photos must feature the amazing Hot Torpedo fly rod!
2) bribes will only be accepted if they are in cash and untraceable
3) there will be FOUR finalists for 2017. Every TWO months the best entry will become a finalist. Every finalist wins a Sexyloops Thunderbolt flyline. Having successfully reached the final it is permitted to improve or expand upon your original entry.
There is no 4.
5) you can send us as many stories or photos as you like; the more the merrier. If you want to make a movie that is accepted too. The more inspired, different and interesting your entry the better your chances to win! There will be random prizes!!
6) this competition is open to all Hot Torpedo owners apart from Paul.
7) Sexyloops Facebook and Sexyloops Board voting will create the bimonthly finalists. The grand prize will ultimately be selected by our esteemed panel of judges; Paul, Viking Lars and Hot Torpedo Wizard Lee Martell.
8) Last entry December 31st 2017.



FAST-FEEL

I think a mistake was made in rod design a couple of decades ago when fast became synonymous with rigid butt sections; indeed there are very many rods that are virtually without feel, only because the butt section has no give. It's predominantly because of this, that many anglers feel the need to overline their fast rods, to try to give them some semblance of feel but there are a number of problems with this approach, firstly it results in the angler using a heavier line than required for the fishing situation ie size of flies/ sensitivity (unless of course he or she originally and intentionally purchased a rod with a lighter number on the blank!), secondly the tip most probably will have been designed with the stated line number in mind, so that your fast tippy rod now in effect becomes a slow tippy rod, losing the benefits that the fast rod gives (tight loops, high line speed and the ability to take quick shots) and finally we are currently in the crazy situation than fly lines are often heavier than AFTTA rating for "today's fast action rods" or perhaps "today's anglers who bought the wrong rod".

Now far be it for me to criticise because there are indeed anglers who like casting a stiff rod without feel. However, for the vast majority of anglers in fishing situations feel is good and for those who habitually overline their rods, it can be said quite simply that they bought the wrong rod. I don't know who first started producing rods with rigid butt sections, but they are very commonplace nowadays because the trend was set and there are surprisingly few rod designers but very many imitators.

Having a flexible butt doesn't mean having a soft or slow butt, it means having just the right amount of stiffness. For me it should flex but also be strong and fast. This is what gives the Hot Torpedo rods not only feel for longer accuracy fishing shots but also, believe it or not, when casting only the fly and leader. This is because one of the characteristics of a well-designed rod is that it can comfortably flex against its own mass, but not so much that it does unexpected things when carrying a long line.

You might be interested in how we have accomplish this small miracle. We do have a few secrets of course but mostly it's done with magic.

Have a fantastic week. Ashly and I are off to Thailand for a few days. I look forward to seeing your first Hot Torpedo entries!

Cheers,
Paul