lining a 8134 burky

[badfish too]

of fishing I still love this rod. I don't want to say it has made me a better caster but I no longer dread fishing river left. which was a problem after I came to the realization a few months ago that most of the places I fish (and where I taught my self to cast) was river right.
I spent yesterday river left and got so caught up in casting and having fun doing it that I missed a strike and pulled my fly out of a fishes mouth when I hastily began stripping in for the next cast.
could it be the rod? could it be me getting in more practice and getting better? Im sure its a little of both.