EdD ........ JC put that Gatti in my hands too. What a dream rod. I cast it and marveled at the nice tight loops I was making as opposed to the more opened slopper loops I had just been producing with my Sage launch. I remarked as much to Jim.
Now here is a man with true insight ... He said, "Your sage will do the same thing, I noticed that you were overpowering your cast a bit. With the Gatti you aren't shocking the line."
He was, as usual, right on the money. Because I was intimidated and I was afraid of doing something wrong to that awesome rod. I was casting it much softer than I normally do. If someone is going to break the Gatti Its not going to be me.

Later when I was alone on the Selway with no one watching me. I tried "soft casting" with the sage and there it was! Just as Jim had said it would be. My Sage was casting tighter loops like the Gatti had done.

There is just something about that beautiful Gatti that makes it my all time favorite. Perhaps its because Jim always makes me cast it, giving me tips as he does so.