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08/09/03 - The Spanish Sexyloop

could be planning something...Here's a little tip for you budding home movie makers out there: if like me, you get mind-blowingly drunk a few times each year (“because it's good for me”) then don't start talking to yourself on video. And if you do start talking to yourself on video, then don't lend it to one of your friends by mistake.

Pretty big tip that one; I'm sure you'll agree. But I'm here to help.

Chris and Paul share a laugh; they're probably discussing tailing loops or how to throw curved casts just by altering the casting planeNothing was mentioned, but I'm not surprised really; you don't, do you? I mean just imagine, short clip of Rick Hartman, short clip of Steve Rajeff, 20 minutes of Paul's alter ego, short clip of Jim Gunderson. What do you say? Yeah nice clip, great casting and by the way, you've got some real problems Paul.

Another tip worth mentioning is that when you go to France – you know, on a Sexyloops Tour of your own, because you might – be sure to find out the French for “petrol” and “diesel”. That could be important. Because if you don't ask beforehand and pump 40 litres of diesel into your car by accident – the one that you've borrowed – you'll have to get it drained out again by a Frenchman who obviously likes to drink the stuff.

Paul blasts out a Sexyloop. Chris watches.Little tips like that can make your holiday so much smoother. Although less interesting of course.

I quite like France, from what I've seen of it. Which isn't very much. Mainly motorways and tollbooths manned by cute little French girls. Which is great of course: if you're going to have toll roads, employ cute French girls – that's what I always say. We don't have toll roads in England, and that's a good thing too, but if we were to have toll roads, then we could do far worse things than employ cute French girls to man them.

That's the cool thing about travelling; you're forever being educated.

Paul in full camo-gear. Switzerland never even knew he was hereSo I'm back in Spain – finally – I thought I might be here a couple of months ago, but somehow it's taken me longer to arrive than expected, and I know what you're thinking; you're thinking it's because he “never plans anything”, but you're so wrong there. Had I planned to be here two months ago, I'd have been late. Simply because I didn't plan to be here in the first place has meant that I'm actually on time. In fact I'm never late – and there's not many people who you can say that about.

And I've been made to feel very welcome as well. Paco had given me his house while I'm here in Pamplona (Paco invents ingenious flies, machines and anodises his own reels – in his bathroom sink nonetheless – and builds funky flyrod handles). Carlos has made sure the fridge carries life's essentials – such as beer, red wine and cheese –and Mikel's sorted me out an Internet connection. I feel incredibly fortunate to have made these friends. I only wish I could speak their language… I will.

Chris blasts out a SexyloopIt will be nice to relax now that I'm finally here – on time – and I fully intend to do just this. There will be fishing, sexyloops, running in the mountains, swimming in the sea, sangria, red wine and chillies, ocean sunsets, big salty flies – which don't work of course; so basically I'm going to have a blast. We're hoping to have a CNL meeting soon, maybe even this weekend somewhere. The CNL is the Spanish Flycasting Committee, of which I'm a member, of course.

I was casting with Carlos this afternoon, throwing slacklines into hoops and realising that I have to practice more just to stand still. It's incredible this flycasting world. It's not about casting, of course the casting is great and it's a fantastic feeling to have control over the line, to feel the rod as you work it and then unleash it, to form a loop that will slice through the air, whipping line up from your feet to follow it in its blaze. Of course that's incredible, to shape this loop, to paint a fleeting image across the vista. Great casting is truly exquisite. It's an expression. And beautiful places deserve it. It doesn't have to be perfect, just let it be sexy.

That's the beauty of Camo-gear; you never know where you are or what you're doingBut anyway, it's not really about the casting, despite all of that, it's really about the people who do it. It's a funny world, full of really nice people, mostly flyfishers – although not always – and mostly really good flyfishers, and some really very good flyfishers. There's a few ego's – hell I'm a bit worried about my alter ego, let alone my “ego” – but so what? It's not about being the best; it's about being one of the best. Or, if you can't be that, then it's about having fun. In fact it's about whatever you want it to be.

Lost again. What I'm trying to say is that somehow, through Sexyloops and writing, but mainly through Sexyloops, I've managed to connect a whole bunch of the world's leading flycasters and I can go just about anywhere – the US, Spain, Germany, Denmark, New Zealand, in fact anywhere I want – and meet people who do exactly the same things I do, and go fishing, casting and have fun. It's amazing. That's kind of what Sexyloops is really about. Maybe that's even what Sexyloops is really all about.

Frankly I have no fucking idea; it might be about something else altogether.

Anyway, while I'm here I'm working on some great new ideas for Sexyloops, Getting ready to hook up a big hitter. Chris in the background.which I can't tell you about – because they're a secret. I'm not even sure how long I'll be here, perhaps a month. Who knows? Maybe that's a secret too.

This week I'll be barbel fishing… for carp, and tying flies with Paco – I'll tie some Shipman's, Paco will do to flytying what I try to do to the loop – there will be another video from the Big Hitters, there's an article from Lasse, some advice from Viking Lars or myself and a hedgehog from Ben.

Cheers,
Paul

Chris and Paul - a different Chris (flycasting can be confusing like that) - at the end of a great day's fishing and casting

Essential Bush Skills

The start of any flytying good flytying sequence involves squirting The Light of Apgai on your polyprops
Both alarm and curiousity set in when the polyprops start melting
Putting the lid back on the jar to stop *that* happening again
The flytying proper is underway
Notice the composure, that's true class that is
A difficult bit, you can tell that from the vacant expression
Essential bush skills: the third hand
Notice my hat here, it's quite daring
Snip, snip
I'm not quite sure what I'm doing here, but it's cool
Trimming an oversize hackle that appears to have become trapped in the whip finnish manoevre
Delicate precision work, the hallmark of any good flytyer
Sheep make good flies too

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