Getting ready to start my first fly rod (for myself) 8 1/2' 3 pc 5wt Forecast. When browsing the catalogs to decide on a seat for it, I was surprized to see that the seats came in various lengths. I have been unable to find any explanation on the sizes and what, if anything, the numbers in the seats mean (A5, A7.U14, etc.) Spinning/casting seats are easy, 16, 17, 18, etc.

Is there a method to this or is it a plot by the fly folks to drive the rest of us crazy???????

I don't even have a reel yet (a whole new stage of confusion) so I can't measure the feet.

"Confused in Michigan"

It is sorta loose and confusing. I really don't know if there is any reason for the numbers like U8, etc. I just assumed they are "names" and let it go at that. Fly seats generally come in 2 main diameters, around 3/4" od (.720 is common) and around 5/8" od. The little ones are used on light line rods, like 5 wt and down. the bigger one is usually used on bigger rods, like 5 wt and up.
The different seats of different styles are probably different lengths, but they don't really come in lengths. I don't think you can buy different lengths of seats in one style like a U8. It is not uncommon for me to cut a seat to acheive the minimum overall length that will work.
To build on the cheap and still have a pretty nice rod, a 16 fujii spinning seat works awful nice on a fly rod. Look at the photo page for various ways of dressing them up with inserts, etc. Or you can buy them as a skeleton seat with a wood insert. Custom tackle has some very nice aluminum seats in a pewter finish that are pretty cheap. They might be American tackle, but I am not sure. All of the pac bay seats I have seen are of the larger diameter which I don't have much use for.

The number that really matters is the "bore". You will have to shim the rod blank out to the bore size, or drill the bore out to the blank size, or buy a seat that is custom bored.

If you don't have a lathe and want to get something together fairly easy order a fuji skeleton seat with a wood insert and some of the foam arbor bricks to shim it with. Saw the barrel of the seat off to the shortest length that it can be and still accept your reel and you are set to go.

Mike,
The only thing that really counts is the ID of the insert, as long as it's bigger than the OD of the blank you'll be fine. As screwy as the numbering is, you can use anything with a "3" or a "5" in the model number. The higher numbers are really for saltwater and spey rods. I personally prefer the U3 style to the A5.

Have fun.

Gerry

Mike , the "U" generaly stands for the UP locking style , the others will be down locking. I'm with the others as far as the #s go ......still haven't figured that one out completly . For the rod you are doing a A5, or U5 will be sufficent , and accomidate most reels you would use on that wt rod.
Fly fishing is life ......., John

Got Fish ?

Mike,
I'm glad you asked that question. I never understood that before, but I didn't ask because I thought it might be a dumb question that everyone else knew about. I haven't built many fly rods so It wasn't that important in the past.
Ron
I guess the only dumb question is the one not asked!