Components

Gatti Fly Rods, uniquely driven by science, stand-alone in Advanced Hi-Performance fly rods. 

Our methods, processes, and materials are unparalleled, setting us apart from the competition. Take an in-depth look at our innovative designs and processes and see how we deliver Gatti Performance! 


OUR BLANKS

are meticulously crafted one at a time at our shop in Italy. Making a fly rod that's light, strong, fast, and controllable is a challenge, attaining all that and retaining feel and sensitivity? That's something else, and it's not achieved by chance. It takes ambitious, complex engineering, new materials, and processes. We developed our low-mass thin-wall design forty years ago using applied physics. We sought a foundational platform that satisfied all our performance criteria without compromise. This platform had to have:


1. Strength and Durability: Ensure a lifetime of consistent, non-degrading performance.


2. Modifiable Mechanical Attributes: Provide the ability to create different performance characteristics using a single design platform.


3. Scalability: The platform could be used across all line-weights without compromising performance or durability.


4. Low-Mass: Use minimal materials to reduce weight for better transmission of micro-vibration for sensitivity and feel.


5. Thin-Wall: To eliminate inconsistent wall thickness and voids in the blank creating torsional stability, and minimal recovery oscillation.


We discovered during development our criteria could only be achieved using new advanced materials and processes, so we developed them. At Gatti, we don't compromise; we look forward "out of the box" and engineered the solution to achieve our advanced performance goals!


Our process is proprietary and not shared with the public, but here's what we can reveal. Our advanced composite fabrics are a proprietary blend of Hy-Bor/Graphite filaments developed in collaboration with Kordsa SA in Europe. This hybrid composite material is uniquely ours. By weaving hybrid-boron fibers into our pre-impregnated (prepreg) fabric, we enhance performance properties across the entire rod, not just the butt sections.


This material, combined with our advanced tapers, creates a controlled, progressive, fluid-like loading and release of energy from butt to tip. Our unique multi-directional layups allow us to tailor our performance characteristics precisely without adding materials.



We also use exclusive epoxies developed for our prepreg, curing at higher temperatures under a vacuum to eliminate any voids in the composite. This meticulous process ensures our blanks have a consistent and precise wall thickness and no spine. This consistent wall thickness means the rod loads and releases axial energy equally over 360°at any point on the rod. This all adds up to an incredibly strong, fast, and sensitive rod. The design delivers unsurpassed torsional stability, providing consistent, repeatable casts, superior line control, and pinpoint accuracy—without the added mass of web-encasement material.


Our rods load and release axial energy progressively from butt to tip, achieving faster line speeds without stiffness. The Low-Mass Thin-Wall design minimizes recovery oscillation and better transmits micro-vibrations, creating the superior feel and sensitivity Gatti rods are known for. This robust design is so effective that it's used across all models and weights.

For more details, follow link:


https://composite.kordsa.com/en/


OUR REEL SEATS

were designed and engineered from the ground up, starting with a clean sheet of paper. They are precision-machined in Montana to our exact specifications. We use 6061-T6 alloy structural-grade aluminum tubing, with end caps, hoods, and shoes cut from solid billet stock. Our dual locking nuts are made from Ti-0.15Pd Grade 7 Titanium, alloyed with Palladium for superior corrosion resistance—making it the most durable titanium alloy available.


We precisely cut both internal and external thread clearances for a washer-less mechanical engagement, giving our reel seats a smooth, clean, lubricated feel, and unparalleled security when locking your reel to the rod. All reel seats are protected by Cerakote Elite in either Clear or BluBlack for enhanced durability.

Why Cerakote? Let science and testing set the record straight when it comes to metal treatment for fly rods. Aluminum, while solid and lightweight, is a softer industrial metal that is more prone to salt corrosion and oxidation. Since fly rods perform in harsh environments, reel seats need to be incredibly durable and corrosion-resistant.


6061-T6 aluminum is a robust metal well-suited for reel seats, but an event violent enough to deform a 6061-T6 aluminum reel seat would destroy the rod itself. It’s the protection of the metal that gives the reel seat its durability. To ensure this protection, we need:


  1. Impact and abrasion resistance
  2. Corrosion resistance
  3. Dry-lubricity thread engagement


Cerakote delivers on all three challenges. Unlike anodizing, Cerakote is an advanced, ultra-durable thin-film ceramic coating developed for harsh environments and high-wear applications, such as military firearms and precision machine parts for racing engines.


Cerakote is 8X more scratch-resistant and 12X to 23X more corrosion-resistant than any anodized product, including mil-spec III. It’s also clean, sustainable, non-toxic, and EPA & RoHS certified—making it the environmentally responsible choice here at Gatti. See the results in the testing videos provided.


For more details follow links:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8BQ40MVd-c


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZOgA7ANIcc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL_bXx_qtfo


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksj-XJzVQik&t=11s

OUR WOOD INSERTS

are a testament to our commitment to beauty and quality. Our exotic burl wood is sourced in the U.S. and hand-crafted in Washington.


Each Gatti reel seat insert starts as an entire burl root ball, then cut into manageable blocks. From there, each piece is carefully selected for its grain complexity, shade, and color in its raw, unfinished state. Once selected, the pieces are stabilized, lathe-turned, and finished to our precise specifications.


A final selection is made to ensure the perfect aesthetic match with the rod blank and wrap colors. Only the top 7% of these inserts make it onto a Gatti rod, reflecting our unwavering commitment to beauty and quality.


OUR GRIPS

are not just ergonomically designed; they are engineered with durability and sustainability in mind. They are computer-machined and hand-sanded to our precise specifications in Washington State. Unlike traditional cork rings that are glued together, our grips are cut from solid material blocks for superior strength and consistency.


At Gatti, we are committed to sustainability. We use a proprietary agglomerated industrial cork, a 'green' product made from high-grade cork aggregates sourced from Portugal and blended with organic polymers. This material is virtually weight-neutral, offering consistent density, color, and feel compared to natural cork. Unlike natural cork, Gatti grips have no putty void fillers that degrade and fall out over time, ensuring a long-lasting look, durability, and feel.

The high-density rubberized cork used in the butt of all our grips is a unique feature that adds durability where needed and ensures the precise cutting of our reel seat inlet. This design encases the reel seat in the grip. It symmetrically centers the grip and reel seat with the rod blank, creating solid structural integrity that transmits micro-vibrations to the hand, ensuring the sensitivity and feel that our rods are known for.


OUR RUNNING GUIDES

are a testament to our commitment to advanced design and materials. Manufactured in Washington by Mike and Susan McCoy of Snake Brand Guides, they represent the most advanced guides available anywhere. We collaborated with Mike on the patented ECOated single-foot guide and the ECOated Universal guide. Both guides are made from 17-7ph stainless steel wire, tempered to 64-Rockwell hardness, and feature a low-profile, perfectly helical design that reduces fly-line friction.



The ECOating is a proprietary and sustainable EPA & RoHS Certified Clean plating that is harder than nickel-chrome, without the hazardous material waste typically produced by nickel-chrome plating. This advanced design, combined with the highest-quality materials, ensures the performance, innovation, and environmental stewardship that Gatti customers expect.

OUR STRIPPING GUIDES

are the only components of a Gatti Fly Rod not manufactured in the U.S., and the unfortunate reason is that none are made there. We tested stripping guides from the top seven guide manufacturers.


Our results brought us to one stand-alone guide that met our performance and environmental criteria: Fuji Tackle of Shizuoka, Japan, family-owned since 1938. We chose the KW Titanium / Torzite stripping guides. Their state-of-the-art design, backed by leading-edge technology, sets them apart from all others. Like our rods, "they look different because they are different." Made of proprietary titanium alloy for unsurpassed strength and corrosion resistance.



They are stamped, not welded, so there's no heat to alter the metal properties, creating brittle areas. They are secure and rigid with no flexibility. The frame legs are concave for extra strength, making them the strongest titanium guide available. Their patented forward cant design virtually eliminates binding when shooting line. The Torzite ring insert is a proprietary ceramic with a Mohs hardness rating of 9.4 yet is not brittle; only a diamond is harder. The Torzite ring has a wider, flat shape with less mass, so it's 40% lighter. The ring is deep pressed with a complete epoxy seal that protects it from impacts and eliminates the possibility of separating from the frame, which is an issue with flexible guides. Fuji guides are made with the Ministry of Environment's (MOE) oversight, which ensures the environmentally safe process that we promote and require.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aZ2RfNxvrE

(Ring Impact Strength)


https://www.fujitackle.it/en/corporate.html

(Fuji Environmental Commitment)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCpbB4v6e3I

(Competitor Flexible Guides)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ_e-Ci4cns 

(Flexible Guide Repair Tutorial)


OUR HOOK KEEPER

Like all Gatti components, the hook keeper is not an afterthought. It's thoughtfully designed and positioned for a specific purpose. Most anglers prefer to stow about 12 feet of leader/line rigged when moving to a new spot, with the leader entirely out of the rod guides (fly-line through the tip-top). This prevents crimping the mono leader at the tip-top and eliminates the need to straighten it before the next cast. Many anglers typically attach the fly to a running guide after looping the leader around the reel; we place our hook keeper roughly 30"- 35" up from the grip on top of the rod, opposite the guides, for optimal convenience and functionality.

1) Our hook keeper is designed for secure hook storage with the sharp end of the hook securely stowed facing away from the rod. This ensures there is no risk of the hook scratching or scoring the rod blank, which can cause a catastrophic failure of the fly rod.



2) By placing the keeper one-third of the way up the rod from the butt, we ensure you have enough line out so that your leader doesn't get bent or crimped. It's positioned away from the grip—where some anglers may rest their fingers in the blank to sense "takes"—and remains out of the way when not used. It's been thoroughly tested and proven effective.


The three most common reasons a fly rod breaks while angling are:


1) A defective, weak spot in the blank due to voids within the composite.

2) Striking the rod with the fly (e.g., bead head) while casting, creating microfractures.

3) Hook scratching that scores the rod blank, creating a fracture point, much like when cutting glass with a glass cutter.



OUR ROD TUBES

are produced in Alabama to our exact specifications. Made from a unique carbon fiber and fiberglass composite. They are a fraction of the weight of an aluminum tube, exceptionally light and durable, yet not brittle. The end caps and threaded neck are machined from the same 6061-T6 aluminum as our reel seats, ensuring the same thread engagement and smooth feel.

OUR ROD SOCKS

are made in California from 100% sustainable 4oz cotton canvas. They are dyed and silkscreened with plant-based materials, making them environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Overview of Gatti Fly Rods process and production

position vs. competition.

1) Gatti designed, engineered, and tested every component of a Gatti fly rod. Everything is ours.


2) Our proprietary materials and processes are unsurpassed and available to no others.


3) We have complete quality control of every component we use to make our rods.


4) We have environmental oversight with our component manufacturers as they are in the United States.



5) We are EPA and RoHS-compliant in every aspect of our operations. Fostering our commitment to environmental stewardship.



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