Hi there everyone. Would someone with more experience and knowledge on this subject please help me out, thanks. The thing is, I have decided to use a tennesse/slidering handle(or whatever you call it) ´cos of it´s feel/lightness/sensitivity properties. I will use a shimano sedona 500 reel with it. Would it help to keep the reel secure if I should add some rubbercork under the reel feet. I know rubber cork is kind of heavy so I´ve planned of using about 1 inch on both sides on the reel feet in sutch a way that when the reel would be attatched the Pac bay graphite sliderings would be on the rubber cork only, and the cork would show on both sides and in between the sliderings. The rubbercork seems to have a little more friction than regular cork, that´s where I got the idea. Have somebody done this , and will this work? And what about the weight of the rubber cork? Will it screw up the sensitivity in any way? It will be kind of small sections of the stuff anyway right? I think this handle will probably hold the reel well anyway, even whitout the rubber cork, the reel weights virtually nothing, but if the rubber cork would hold even better so what the heck, right? Have this ever been done, is this a bad idea, how does this sound to the more experienced builders like you gent´s and ladies. I appreciate any responds, thank you. Kim

What kind of material is the handle being made of. If it is cork, I don't think you need anything with the rings as long as the cork is the right O.D. Now if it is a carbon fiber handle, what I have used is a small piece of neoprene rubber for each ring. I put the rubber on the opposite side of the reel foot inside the ring. Slide them both up onto the reel foot and it holds the reel just fine. Using the neoprene rubber I think would be better than rubberized cork. After some time with the rubber, it takes some effort to slip the rings off the reel foot.

Kim,

After several years the reel feet will tend to dent the cork.

So the rubber cork is a good thing.

After several years the reel feet will tend to dent the cork.

Rubber cork is more ridgid and I would think more sensative too.

Rubber cork is also about 4x heaver.

I have used rubber cork and also brick foam arbers and have recently settled in on using about a 3" piece of sensor tube. All good materials for a "Tennessee Reel Seat".

Chris

I have built a couple of spinning rods with just plain cork and slip rings. I had trouble with the reel working loose because it can dig down into the cork. At least with a medium reel they just never felt real tight. Of course I fished with an Ultral light Fenwick built that way for 25 years, so it is not too bad on a little rod. I like the rubber cork idea. One factor is that the tendency will be to always put the reel in the same place, so you could just as will use a fixed seat.

The exact rings are important too. The graphite ones just don't work. The aluminum ones that are moulded to fit the foot of the reel a little tend to work a lot better for me.

I would try it. I think it will work.