I have a St Croix LU 9ft 5 wt 4 pc rod that I would like to up-grade the reel seat and cork. The only thing in the way after I remove the old hardware is the hook keeper and the epoxy buildup over the label as the stripping guide is on the second section. Does it seem feasible to slide on the new cork and seat from the butt end? Of course I would need arbors to eliminate the taper and enough epoxy to fill the voids. Has any one tried this or have a different solution? I would prefer to not remove the hook keeper and label. Thanks in advance for your suggestions. Regards, Bill

You can put it on from the rear end but removing the hook keeper will be a lot less trouble as you won't have to shim everything. Otherwise just proceed as you wish but make very sure you make some thread shims to get that grip on solid footing. If you are not very careful here it will eventually give or flex and you'll be right back where you started.

Drywall tape could also be used to make a nice shim or shims with. You'll also have to shim your reel seat arbors as they will also be moving from a larger diameter to a smaller one.