All,

Just bought a couple of packages with blank, REC tru-track reel seat and the 1.5 FVB fighting butt, and I'm not clear on the best way to build with this butt.

This is a fixed fighting butt, with corks and EVa built on an aluminum frame. A portion of the aluminum frame fits inside the reel seat, but does not have a large enough opening to allow the blank to pass through. If added to the end of the blank, this means the butt section is 1 1/2" longer than other sections...won't fit in my rod cases.

So, I can see options of,

1. Trim butt end of blank

2. Trim off butt extension, and epoxy remaining butt directly to blank.

How do other people use these?

Thanks,

mark

I use these all the time . You have to move the blank up the reel seat about 3/4" to accomodate the fightng butt. Yes, unfortunately you do gain an 1 1/2". You just load up the reel seat end with epoxy. REC also has that same fighting butt in a removable one. This would solve your problem regarding loosing some room in your rod tube. I wouldn't cut off some of the butt end of the blank. If you can exchange the fixed butt for the removable one make sure you clean out the epoxy in the reel seat end or it will become a fixed fighting butt. If I'm not mistaken the fixed fighting butt is about $2 to $3 more. Your supplier should have no problem in getting this for you. The reel seat you have is the RFTS. The removable fighting butt part # is 1.5 RVB. The fighting butt shaft has o-rings to keep it snug inside the reel seat. It's a great reel seat and you won't be disappointed. I hope all this helps!

Mark -

I agonized over this very same thing as I love the REC butt but also wanted the sections to fit in my beloved Sage case.

People are either 100% for trimming the butt section or not at all. There seems to be no in between. I decided to have the best of both worlds - I bought the removeable kit and trimmed off ONLY enough to account for the distance the insert takes up. The insert of course, being the piece glued into the end of the reel seat, that is threaded for the fighting butt.

I take the fighting butt off when I put the rod in the case - only. This way all four sections are equal and I can use the standard cases for a 9' versus having to buy 10' cases to accomodate that ONE section that is longer because of the butt. I thought it was a good compromise - trim off 1/2" versus 1 1/2" to get equal length sections.

Cheers,

Tony