Loop Tackle Design agrees to settlement with Danielsson Innovation.

Loop Tackle Design agrees to settlement with Danielsson Innovation.

In the beginning of 2005 Danielsson Innovation abruptly discontinued the long-standing agreement with Loop Tackle Design. This breach of contract resulted in a number of legal actions that have been underway until just recently when Danielsson Innovation requested to settle out of court. This comes just prior the main trial regarding the question of whether Danielsson Innovation's annulment of the agreement was legal or not. Despite substantial losses caused by the annulment, Loop Tackle Design agreed to the small damage settlement.

"This whole affair has been painful, but we and Danielsson Innovation have now agreed to put our disputes to rest. We really appreciate the years we cooperated and look forward to a healthy competition in the years to come. We at Loop Tackle Design wish Danielsson Innovation the best of luck in the future". says Christer Sjöberg, founder of Loop.

Winter Anger

Winter Anger
by Stephan Dombaj
feat.: Julian Sion

"...are you kidding me?" (the constellation that is otherwise known as "SICK BASTARD") - the common reaction when I am talking about wintertime pikefishing. But let´s start logically in order to get the whole impression of my sickness.

(Strip it)

The first days that the waters are more or less icefree and the fat bastard pike we want to nail is more lethagic than ready to rock: All metabolic functions are slowed down due to the watertemperatur in order to save as much energy as possible. What we need now is the old deep´n slow, nice and neat formula to score.

(Deciving Dahlberg Diver)

Now that ice can´t stop the water from warming up, the temperature in the shallows is increasing relatively rapid from (for example:) 2 to 7 degrees. That little kickstart is enought to tease preyfishes into the shallow zones. An appropriate reason for our target to follow...

(Strip it fast and prey for the big bang)

Now it´s time to own: Shallow water baits, such as the famous Dahlberg Diver offer the (probably) most exciting way to get these toothy monsters. Quite uncommon methode to get a hook up these days - but give it a try. The natural instinct of a predator is an irrepressible impulse and they want that mouse/frog soo bad.... A few days before pikes before the close season for pike starts (here in western Germany) we had the right conditions to bust our knuckles once again! Good excuse for topwaters in the cold!

(Opti Runner ready to go)


(Busted)


(Julian with a decent fish)


(Check it´s mouth)


(...)


(Nice one)


(Sweet fish)


(Release)

(Finally a better one: 82cm)


(Opti Salt did it again)

Can´t wait for May to come!!!

Loop Opti Salt “It’s Here!!!”

Sonya and I just returned from some amazing Tarpon fishing and got the chance to fish both the Loop Otpi Salt 10 and 12 weight rods. Both rods have the new “X-Grip” on them and I can assure you they are both amazing fish fighting tools, as we landed most of our tarpon in less then 30 minutes.

Tarpon Bait

Of course we also had the Loop Opti Megaloop and Opti Big reels and I have never been more impressed with a big game reel in my life.













Our View .................................................................... Opti Salt and Megaloop

We jumped somewhere around 50 tarpon (amazing by any standards), kept the drags tight and our hands far back on the rod handles and just worked them hard. I was amazed how fast we landed these fish

I think people are going to be very impressed with the new Opti Salt series...













Sonya and Captain Carl "Landed!"










Hells Bay flats boat was our transportation (see the James Bond boat - background)

April Vokey's Flies For Fins

Here is a message from my friend April Vokey. She is trying to raise money to benefit Steelhead in British Columbia through work done by the Steelhead Society of British Columbia.If you value BC Steelhead please consider sending April Vokey a couple of your flies.

FLIES FOR FINS

Listen up!!! This message is for you whether you live in Norway, Oregon or British Columbia.... Our steelhead are suffering and need your help!I have started a fundraiser called Flies For Fins. I don't want your money, but I do need some of your time and tying materials. I am working with Reaction Fly and Tackle, Pacific Angler, Michael and Young Fly Shop and Whistler FlyFishing to raise money for the Steelhead Society. Each location will carry a cork board that is full of steelhead flies MADE BY YOU. These flies will be sold at the shops, where proceeds will be donated to the Steelhead Society. In the middle of each cork board will be a graph that is updated weekly to show how much money had been raised.
Mailing flies only takes a couple stamps (just make sure that they can be flattened in an envelope.) This is for a great cause, please choose to take some of your time and flies out of your box for it.I will have a Face Book page up in the next several days for Flies For Fins, however, we need flies RIGHT NOW.

Flies can be shipped to:
8505 Norman Cres.
Chilliwack, B.C.
Canada
V2P 5C6

Feel free to send one fly, or ten! Make them as fancy or as plain as you would like. Please include your name.

Envelope, stamp, fly. It's that simple.
Please do your part and help us make a difference!

Thank you so much,
April.

BC Steelhead, Provincial Fish?

January 15th, 2009

Steelhead Society of B.C.
232 W. Broadway
Vancouver, B.C.
V5Y 1P6

Premier Gordon Campbell
Room 156, West Annex,
Parliament Buildings,
Victoria, B.C.
V8V1X4

Dear Premier Campbell
re: Designation of Steelhead as an Official Emblem of British Columbia (Provincial Fish)

Further to our earlier request of February 26, 2004, the Steelhead Society of B.C. again asks the government to give serious consideration to designating the wild steelhead (Oncorhynhus mykiss) as B.C.’s provincial fish for the following reasons:

- B.C. has a provincial flower (Pacific Dogwood, designated in 1956), a provincial gemstone(jade, designated in 1968), a provincial bird (Steller’s Jay, designated in 1987), a provincial tree(Western Red Cedar, designated in 1988), and most recently a provincial mammal (Spirit Bear).However, despite the cultural significance of fish to British Columbia, a provincial fish has not been designated as an official emblem of the province;

- Wild steelhead (and their land-locked equivalent, rainbow trout) are distributed throughout most of B.C. British Columbia is the only province in Canada with native, wild steelhead populations.These populations are the largest remaining in North America. The world records for the largest steelhead caught in fresh-water, and the largest steelhead caught by fly fishing, are both from British Columbia;

- B.C. is world famous for its unequalled wild steelhead sport fisheries, which are an economically and culturally priceless part of our heritage. The designation of wild steelhead as our provincial fish would add to these values.

We look forward to your response.

Yours truly,

Jason Tonelli
President
Steelhead Society of B.C.

Loop Opti 8124 and Whistler Spey Line

In the last year the Loop Opti 8124 has become my favourite Steelhead stick. I have this rod matched up with Loop's new Whistler spey line and Classic 7/9 reel loaded with 40#LTS running line.

The opti is a gun, super light with a tonne of power. A nice smooth progressive flex with a tip that is medium in flex but incredibly quick recovering, making for a fast rod that doesn't feel like a broom handle. The overall reduced weight and diameter of the Whistler line combined with the fast precise tip of the opti make for a set up that throws razer lazers and fishes great too.


The Whistler spey line is a completely new concept in spey line design.In fact when the line production engineer first received the design this was his comment,

"this new line design is as crazy as a Norwegian in Bull season"

The Whistler casts best with modern fast action rods which is really no surprise as these lines were designed to match up perfectly with the Loop Opti two hand rods. The unique taper of the Whistler line positions the weight in the portion of the D loop where it will have the most effect on loading the rod and generating line speed. The Whistler line perfectly suits our modern northwest speycasting technique. The smooth continuous motion of the rod tip rising into the forward stroke drives the heaviest portion of the head through the apex of the D loop generating line speed. As the heaviest and thickest portion of the line is at the front it is a very efficient use of weight making for a light line that loads the rod like a much heavier line. The Whistler flies fast and true,the aggressive front taper turning over sink tips and large flies with authority.

The first real test of the Whistler line was my trip last summer to Alaska West Lodge fishing for King(Chinook)Salmon. Alaska West operates a tent camp on the lower reaches of the Kanektok river where lucky anglers get to swing flies for chromers fresh in from the Bering Sea.

After great results in Alaska the Whistler lines were put through their paces fishing for wild Steelhead on the Skeena river system in northern British Columbia and then on ocean bright Coho and Chum Salmon back home in Whistler.Along the way the Whistler line was put in the hands of wide cross section of anglers ranging from spey newbies to seasoned guides. The most common comment from the testers was the distincive slow slinky drift the Whistler line gives.


The line has a 12 foot progressive intermediate section at the front to which sink tips are attached meaning that a good portion of the overall head is below the waters surface where the current is slower. This allows for the most direct connection to the fly resulting in unbelievable feel throughout the swing. Rather than the thick floating portion of the line towing around the sink tip, you feel the fly and sink tip in the most straight line connection to the fly and fish. The reduced drag of the thin line combined with the intermediate sinking portion enable the slowest possible swing with a level of control never before experienced. The rear floating portion of the Whistler blending smoothly into the intermediate section behind the faster sinking tip allows the angler to fish deep when out on the seam and yet swing the fly smoothly into a foot of water.

Loop Equipment Research

Loop Equipment Research
by Stephan Dombaj

The famous quality of Loop Tackle Design of Sweden Products is based on wide variety of influences from around the globe: On the one hand our fieldtest and research team that conquers every white spot on the map in order to abuse our clothing and tackle under the most harsh conditions a flyfisher could possibly challenge - and on the other hand, the aim to go even further. Lean back and enjoy this footages of an quite unconventional "fish-equipment-fieldtest"

(Under The Influence)

Austria: A small village located near by Austria´s highest mountain. 10 Days of non-stop abuse for clothing. No Slope. Temp.: Between 0 and -20 degrees. Freeride!!!

Clothing:

• Loop Opti 3L Jacket
• Loop Polartec Power Strech Underwear
• Loop Hoodie
• Loop Backpack and Vest Combo

Subsumption: If you are in search for functional outdoor clothing and carry systems with style, go on and check out the Loop-Stuff.

(On the way to the top)


(Icedust reflexions)


(Freeride)


(Pt.II)


(Pt.III)


(The 180°)


(Creek)


(...)

Board and Ski: Stephan Dombaj
Photos: Stephan Dombaj