[Noel Kelly]

Hamish my condolences on your loss and to your good lady please.

Great photos!

[Hamish Young]

Thanks Noel, appreciate it and a thank you to all who have sent condolences via email and PM, all have been passed on to Rachel.

Now all we need to see is some more photos and posts from folk who attended 'loops Scotland 2012
I seem to remember seeing Kev launching a few big casts and Michael, Mr B and so on.

Come on chaps.... get posting

H

[Ben Dixon]

Another Sexyloops Scottish Gathering.......   2012 was one of the best so far, we had guys from Latvia, Hungary, Australia and Canada this year and also from just about every corner of the UK.  

Weather was grim at times, snow, wind, rain and the occasional bit of sunshine but for Upper Donside in May it was about as good as can be expected.

Weekend started off on Thursday with a few hours of unsuccessful trouting and a lot of beer.  Hamish I took out Matt Howell who had travelled from Oz to be here out to try and get him a salmon, tall order on the upper river at this time.  Day started off well with a nice trout hooked on a gold cascade, now I'd not usually count a trout caught on salmon gear but it was a stunning fish.



Not long after we did hook up with a salmon which unfortunately managed to throw the hook after a few minutes and a good bit of time in the air.


Shit happens!!

Saturday was the first of the casting days and actually started very early



about 1AM.


Few pics from Saturday.....



Mike whacking out a line, did a not bad job with the DHD for someone that doesn't do salmon rods

Stefan & Peter Kovacks in full throw

Bombay Bad Boy prepares to launch the DHD

Irvine having a chuck with my saltwater outfit, don't think it'll be too long before he builds a 12wt  


Results for Saturday round one......
1   Paul Arden
2   Matthew Howell
3   Stefan Siikavaara
4   Mike Heritage
5   Ben Dixon
6   Peter Kovacs
7   Michael "bad boy" Buchan
8   Trev
9   Andrew Parker
10 Pete Vicaris
11 Simon Beaudoin
12 Mark Surtees / Mike Barrio
14 Martin Flery
15 Anna Viklun

Outfits were....
15' Mackenzie shooting head rod with 65 gram 70' head on 30lb Varivas.
MSX 9' #6 with Barrio GT125 prototype
TCR 590 with Barrio GT 125 prototype


1   Paul Arden
2   Matthew Howell
3   Ben Dixon
4   Stefan Siikavaara
5   Mike Heritage
6   Peter Kovacs
7   Michael "bad boy" Buchan / Trevor Bourne
8   Mark Surtees
9   Andrew Parker / Pete Vicaris
10 Mike Barrio
11 Simon Beaudoin
12 Martin Flery
13 Anna Viklund

Outfits were.....
Orvis Access 907 TF with Barrio GT 125 prototype A
Orvis Access 907 TF with Barrio GT 125 Prototype B
Ovis Zero Gravity 909 TF with #9 Bass line

Some big distances thrown there and over all a very good standard of casting, it is great to see how everyones' distance creeps up year on year

Prizes were kindly donated Mike Barrio - Barrio Fly Lines (caps & flylines), Stefan Sikavaara - MSX tackle (906 rod), Orvis - Encounter Reels and these were presented at on Saturday night.  All qualified instructors were eliminated from the rankings and prizes were given to those who remained.









Sunday saw a rather hungover start for all, there was a bit of sharing of tips, twatting of rods and general playing around before the obligatory shoot out.


Bad boy Buchan in action

Kev sends out a nice loop with the SLX

Kev "bonding" with my 12wt saltwater outfit (check out the grimace), I'm going to make you one of those heads Kev as you seem to like it so much  

Sundays distances





Outfits were....
Round one
Orvis Access 912 TF with 36g floating shooting head
Sage z Axis 765 with MED #5
Orvis Access 907TF with Barrio GT125 prototype B #7
Orvis Access 909TF with Orvis #9 Bass line
TCR5 with Barrio GT125 prototype B #5line
Barrio 903 with Barrio GT140 #3line

Round one was into a head wind, very difficult conditions!

Round 2
Orvis Access 912 TF with 36g floating shooting head
Orvis Access 907TF with Barrio SLX #7
Orvis Access 907TF with Barrio GT125 prototype B #7

Again, some cracking casts in both rounds.


Top weekend and I'm already looking forward to 2013, hopefully some more of the local guys can make next year.  I've a few more pics that I will post over the coming days.

Cheers

Ben

[Peter McCallum]

Next Year I WILL be fit for 'loops. I WILL I Will I will............ I hope   

[Rob Brownfield]

All I can say is that if you stand a bit closer to the river in the first place you may not need to cast so far!....


...i'll get my coat!   

[Ben Dixon]

Next Year I WILL be fit for 'loops. I WILL I Will I will............ I hope   

Hope so Pete 

All I can say is that if you stand a bit closer to the river in the first place you may not need to cast so far!....
...i'll get my coat!   

You wouldn't understand, maggot boy 

[Matt Henderson]

Looks like great fun. Shame work spoiled my chances of going again.

[Ben Dixon]

Looks like great fun. Shame work spoiled my chances of going again.

It's always one of the highlights of the year for me Matt.  No such thing as making a fool of yourself and everyone goes away having learnt something, I hope some more of the local guys can make it next year.

Some more pics here for anyone who is interested Sexyloops Scottish Gathering 2012

Cheers

Ben

[Mike Barrio]

Hi Ben

Thanks for posting the report and the photos, excellent stuff!

It was a cracking weekend and I learnt quite a lot

Cheers
Mike

[Marc Fauvet]

really nice pics and report gents ! thanks.
good on you all for excluding the instructors from the prizes. 

cheers,
marc

[danbruce]

Looks like a great day was had by all and also some huge casts 
Would be good to go next year just to see people throwing that sort of distances.

Dan

[Ben Dixon]

good on you all for excluding the instructors from the prizes. 

cheers,
marc

Yup, very pleased we did.  Peter Kovacs was made up with his MSX rod and most of us instructors need more rods & lines like a hole in the head.

Would be good to go next year just to see people throwing that sort of distances.

Dan

You'd be mad not to cast if you did come up Dan.  You couldn't buy one of those meets, the amount of collective skill & knowledge at a gathering simply couldn't be bought.  I don't think anyone who has come and cast has ever felt intimidated, all you'd get is assistance if you looked uncomfortable no pretentious nonsense just a group getting together to have a cast and share some info.

Cheers

Ben

[Irvine Ross]

Ben

That 12 weight outfit of yours is an instrument of torture. I had a sore shoulder for two days after trying to cast it. It's also a bit embarrassing to see in the photograph  how little I could make it bend.

Anyway it was good fun for the short time I was there and good on you for putting all the effort into making it happen. I will look in again next year, if my shoulder has recovered.

Irvine

[Michael Buchan]

Bad boy buchan had a great weekend 

If your looking for inspiration on brushing up your casting these guys are awesome and not just distance there accuracy is also amazing.

Like Ben says theres no dick measuring ( which is unfortunate for me as would have placed better than 8th  ) really good guys made to feel welcome even though not an instructor would recommend it to anyone.  Stocked with my reel and line its not often you get something for finishing 7th cheers Ben and Mike.

Irvine's right the 12 weight was brutal, pretty cool though have ordered some DT 11& 12 lines to chop up and play with as casting these on the single handers was brilliant fun

Michael

[Hamish Young]

........ though have ordered some DT 11& 12 lines to chop up and play with as casting these on the single handers was brilliant fun

Ah ha Another convert, good to see you're having a play It is very addictive. You and I both saw the look on Kevs face when he hit 41 metres with my 'prototype' outfit for the CLA.... he can't pretend he doesn't like a wee bit of distance work any longer

H