Prodigy

Bruce Vetre

Bruce Vetre

Bruce Vetre

There are many claims on the market today about what makes a rod great, and it usually starts with the heart of the rod, the blank. Somehow, manufacturers would have you believe that modulus alone makes their rod better. Did you ever have a rod that you just loved, but it wasn’t created of any “miracle” fibers? The reason? Blank design. Blank design is the most critical factor in producing a great fishing instrument. Although modulus is important in constructing a blank, it is not the only thing. Blank properties including: taper, wall thickness, directional fibers, scrim, sanding, and others, are all are just as important. It is a blend of these variables that makes a blank great. Our VRC Prodigy and Prodigy Ti rods are built on a “multi modulus approach”. What that means is there are just too many combinations of modulus, tensile strength, scrim, and resins, to just blindly say “our blanks are xx modulus because that’s the best”. We use materials, or a blend of materials, that work best for a particular application. This is the reason why we only have one blank line. How could any manufacturer claim that what they are using is the lightest and most sensitive, and then turn around and make the same claim for a less, or more expensive, rod/blank line? Our blanks are produced with only one goal in mind; it must be light, sensitive, and reliable.

Our competitors will remove grips, “skeletonize” reel seat bodies, and reduce critical guides sizes, all to reduce the rod’s weight. In reality, these give very little benefit to the angler, usually result in an uncomfortable and unbalanced rod, but give the manufacturer a higher profit margin. VRC Prodigy line’s lightness is achieved through careful design and balance, without sacrificing components.

Super sensitivity is a must for any serious fisherman, and our VRC Prodigy line is no exception. Our multi-modulus blanks, reel seat bodies with a “resonance” chamber or direct blank contact, and Fuji Concept guides, produce a rod that’s light and crisp, while transferring the subtlest vibration to the angler’s hand. For years, producing rods with cutting edge sensitivity meant using Tennessee Graphite handles. The hollow areas inside the tubing produced resonance chambers, essentially amplifying vibrations; similar to the way a percussion drum works. These resonance chambers are the most sensitive way to transmit signals to your hand, but taping on your reel was not very efficient, and in the heat, it became a sticky mess. That inspired us to produce a new handle system, one that took advantages of the Tennessee Graphite handle, plus had a conventional means of mounting your reel. The results are American Tackle’s Vetre Matrix Handle. There is not a more comfortable, sensitive, or lightweight, handle on the market today. The main body of the handle is still mounted with high-density arbors and the resonance chambers, for maximum sensitivity; and the rear-tubing portion covers the threads for a smooth, comfortable feel.

Guides can make or break the feel of a rod. Guides that are too heavy, make a rod feel “mushy”, reduce sensitivity, and rob the blank of casting power. Reducing guides sizes in an attempt to reduce weight, causes stripping guides to be too low, allowing line slap on the blank, or a “choking” of the line on spinning rods, both diminishing casting distance. VRC Prodigy rods use Fuji’s Alconite Concept guides, and our Prodigy Ti uses Fuji’s TiSIC Concept guides. With these extremely lightweight guides, the rod’s action remains uninhibited, giving the angler a crisp, and responsive feel.

Everything that goes into our rods is designed to give the owner an unparalleled experience. Attention to detail, and by using manufacturing processes that meet or exceed industry standards, assures that your treasured fishing tool will not only perform well for years, but it will also look great doing it.

Bruce Vetre