A visit with Famiglia Vitalini | V-Stick Custom Fly Rods | CTS NEW ZEALAND

Gayleen Pratt | 24 March 2022

The vibrant and eye-catching collections of V-Stick custom fly fishing rods have popped from the pages of CTS social media for many years. Behind them is one of the most passionate and creative rod builders we know: Renato Vitalini.

Stephen was privileged to visit with Renato in 2018, and loved it so much that he firmly decided to one day return with his family.

So in the winter of 2022, Famiglia Pratt travelled five hours by train to visit with Famiglia Vitalini. A train journey through the Swiss Alps when the trees are heavy with new snow and its crystal clear rivers are looking their wintry best is absolutely magical. Our destination in the south east corner of Switzerland was the picture-postcard beautiful village of Scuol, where our good friend Renato was waiting with a very big smile.

While there is no fishing to be had in the depths of winter, our time in Scuol was filled with admiring architecture, fountains and the quaintest little streets, enjoying the wellness culture and famous mineral water, some wonderful evenings of Vitalini hospitality, and of course hitting the slopes for a great day of skiing and snowboarding with Renato.

Renato’s creations come to life in a workshop that would be the envy of any rod builder. Perfectly laid out with tools for mastering every precision job that the craft demands, and components and threads for any colour scheme a customer dreams of. Magic happens here. There are even spaces to relax, unwind and listen to music – with the added inspiration of some of the coolest pieces of Star Wars memorabilia around.

He’s been described as one of the best fly rod makers in the world, with a unique style that’s widely admired and often imitated. Renato’s works of art travel to every corner of the globe, with many customers not satisfied with owning just one V-Stick.

These are the highest quality fly rods that will endure for many seasons, will undoubtedly be meticulously cared for and passed down through generations.