I built a Gatti 9' 9wt. TA two years ago and loved it. It was light, powerful, and cast for distance better than any other rod I've used. Today it broke when it shouldn't have.
I had heard the Gatti TA's are fragile but I've only broken two rods in over 50 years of fishing so I tried one. I'm still glad I did, but I'll not build another right now.

I fish the flats of the Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River and I'm looking for another 9' 9wt.

Can anyone recommend a blank which will come close to the performance of the TA but is more durable?

If the rod is two years old, it's most likely you were the cause of breakage. A some point, it got hit, bumped, etc., - rods do not suddenly become defective nor suddenly become fragile after two years of use. Remember, the damage may have been done previous to the actual failure.

There are plenty of rods out there that will match or exceed the performance of the TA but I'm afraid that none will be exactly indestructible. Higher levels of performance all come about from materials and design - lighter material, thinner walls, etc., equal a less substantial structure that is more prone to failure from impact or abuse.

I'm sure you'll get various responses and hope you find a suitable replacement, but all might possibly fail for the same reason that the Gatti did.

.....................

I would recommend the St Croix Legend or SCV in the 9' 9wt. I have two and love them! I've hd no problem with breakage but I won't go so far as to say they're very durable. I try to baby them as much as I can. I don't think they'll fall apart on you but smacking them with a clouser or dropping one on jetty rocks would probably spell the end I'd guess.

Definately check out the Dan Craft FT's....Light and powerful.

Terrific blanks...

Keith

Blanks breaking isn't the end of the world. If that is what you like, then that's what you should build. What does "when it shouldn't have" mean? How often did you use this rod?

By all means send it back to Gatti just to let them have a look. If they should deem it defective (always a chance) they'll probably send you another.

..............

The rod broke cleanly like it was sawed in half in the middle of the tip section just above a single foot guide. It broke during a "water-haul." I used it perhaps three times a week year-round. I was hoping to get a response from a builder who posted about two years ago that he regretfully gave up on the Gatti TA's after breaking two of them. His experience and admiration for the blank's performance seem similar to mine.

I don't think you could have used the rod three times a week for two years and it have been defective in any way. A clean break like that sounds like impact to me. Something hit that rod to fracture it. Had it been defective or fragile it would have broken in the first few uses IMO.

I have owned one Gatti fly rod and did't like it but not for any breakage reason. It just didn't appeal to me and what I like in a fly rod. But I didn't find the rod to be fragile or at least not any more so than other makes I own and use.

Phil,
The rod I recently built for my sister broke clean just as you described how your Gatti broke. This was the first time she used it!
She told me after it broke that both of her rods had a door shut on them when they slid into the crack between the door and
frame. (dog chasing cat while she was gone!) The rods were stored behind the door. The guys on the river were really razing
me about the "rods I build" until she explained the prior damage that she and I had not even seen on the rod blank. There were
no noticeable marks or cracks when she found them lying in the door frame so she assumed they were alright! that is until she
put the rod under a good load and CRACK! It was in two pieces and I was floored! That was a nice rod with a beautiful "hearts"
butt wrap. The photo of that rod is posted in the photo section of this board. (unbroken of course)
Do you use a rod case? Is it possible something happen inadvertently? I hate to say it but sounds like user error to me so don't
give up on that blank Mfr. yet. Especially if you liked it so much to begin with.

My 2 cents!

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/2005 12:26AM by Raymond_Adams.