Paul Arden | Monday, 25 May 2026
I was sure that the rise in water level would entice the snakehead to spawn but so far this hasn’t happened. Or if it has happened they are not out and about yet. On my hunts I’ve seen some small freerisers, not large enough to make me want to stop and fish for them. And I’ve also kept my eye out for gourami, but this week nada.
Strange really. It could well be that in the next days things change. And of course maybe it’s happening in some other part of the lake. Around here you don’t know until you find out! And so I’m moving around a lot at the moment to see what’s going on. I would be amazed if we don’t get snakehead babies as a result of the recent rain. Time will tell.
Today I have a Zoom meeting with Nick. We are going to go through a lesson I gave last week. We may also make a video about this. It’s a fairly standard intermediate lesson 1, with the usual collection of drills. It would make for an excellent video series because we are going to turn this chap into an incredible fly caster and I think it will be fun to watch the 12 month process. Hopefully it will help others too because we struggle to keep up with the demand for lessons.
Nick and I have made a separate video of lesson 1 drills for Zoom students, but I think we will redo this because I would like for the video to be of better quality. Also the sound wasn’t fantastic from my end, so I’m trialling the use of a different microphone. When the bass drops out of my voice I sound like I haven’t reached puberty.
Nick is now available full time for Sexyloops coaching. Ten Sexyloops fly casting lessons cost 1000USD. We work very closely together and go through every lesson. So you are in reality getting coached not by one but by two coaches! Please drop me an email if you are interested. We promise to turn you into a fly casting Jedi and/or the fly casting swashbuckling equivalent of Zorro.
In Texas, Andy the Redneck is making some stunning Sexyloops Tornado fly rods. Now that we have caught up with our pre-orders, I’ll start posting these fabulous builds in the Hot Torpedo Owners’ Club. We now have a fast turnaround from Texas and currently it’s about 7-10 days and quite soon we will have stock of all the standard builds as well.
We are building rods in the EU too of course (for the rest of the world) and turnaround there is also quick at the moment. Sexyloops… like a well-oiled machine!
For me, having a great fishing rod and an excellent cast just makes the entire fishing experience so much more enjoyable. I really can’t imagine fly fishing being nearly as much fun without either. It takes about a year of coaching and practise to develop a truly outstanding cast, beginning as an intermediate level caster. And then these skills are something that with remain with you for the rest of your life.
And as for rods, Sexyloops fly rods are the last fly rods you will ever buy! I can’t imagine anything truly better coming along. I can’t even imagine what that would be. I certainly hope to live and fish for another 40 (and preferably more!) active years and I won’t be changing fly rods!! For me that part of the puzzle is now sorted, which allows me to concentrate on all the other aspects that make up our wonderful sport/life/passion. I know others who feel exactly the same way as I do too.
You know, I tend to think that is true for everyone involved in designing rods. Unless their casting radically changes – if for example they weren’t very good when they started, which is unlikely – or unless the materials themselves fundamentally change – as in cane, fibreglass and carbon fibre once did – then after you have actually managed to make the 9’ 4/5/6 or wherever rod that you personally want, then that is it. You simply can’t, or shouldn’t be able to, make a better rod.
So I really don’t foresee making another 9’ 4/5/6/7/8/10 rod in my lifetime. And if you have this philosophy/realisation, as I do, then you make sure to make the best bloody rod you can, because if you can make a better rod, say ten years later, then the only reason you didn’t do so in the first place was because you didn’t do a proper job!!
I’ve fished the HT6 for over ten years. There has never been a point when I’ve thought I wish I had a better rod. And for that matter I’ve never cast a 6WT rod that I thought was better. Of course people have different opinions, different preferences, different strokes. Which makes up the wonderful tapestry of this fly fishing world.
Word of warning: most people who buy one Sexyloops rod end up owning half a dozen! Every rod comes with a free Zoom lesson with me – this can be viewed as a manual on how to make best use of the thing, or as an opportunity to have a fishing chat. And an exciting 1 in 666 chance of joining me on a pirate adventure.
Have a great week! I have a Malay language lesson coming up shortly. And I haven’t done my homework…
Cheers, Paul