I find myself buying (fly0 rod building components 'mix-and'match' usually. That is, I'll find a good deal on blanks one day, or reel seats another time, or guides, etc. I don't necessarily buy cork grips that are fit to the same mfgr's reel seat. The question at hand is, what is the best method/tools for counterboring cork grips to accept uplocking reel seats? It's especially hard to create a tight, flush fit for those hooded seat rings that don't have a decorative flange to cover the counterbore hole.

Most good fly reel seats come with a piece of cork you can glue onto the foregrip that accepts the reel seat hood. You can often call the reel seat mfg and indicate that this cork ring did not come with your seat. Some places sell them seprately. One trick is to reinforce the underside of the thin part of this cork ring where it spans the internal reel seat hood, with a thin coat of reinforcing epoxy, this thiner piece seems to break off alot

Take a piece of cork and bore it out yourself with a dremel, if you're cheap like me. Or, if you want it fitted perfectly, most types of uplocking "hidden" seats have a specific bored piece of cork that can be bought separately. Simply epoxy it to the butt of your existing cork grip, clamp up tight overnight, then sand even the next day. If you do a good job, you won't be able to tell it wasn't originally made that way.

Jim:
I find myself in your situation many times, especially when I build grips and want the seat recessed into them. I like that look, so unless I am using a "Powell" type of seat, I do it a lot.

This is what I do.

Properly ream and fit the grip to the blank. Then arbor, ream or whatever you do to fit the reel seat to the blank. Take the front hood and reverse it. Push the grip and the seat into place. (Don't use epoxy yet.) Then I take a ball point pen and outline the shape of the of the front hood on the end of the grip. I then use a router bit for my Dremel tool and rough out the approximate depth and shape of the hood. You have to visualize how the hood slants to get a perfect fit. Then I take the large sanding drum for the Dremel and sand to the final shape. The large drum makes it easy to get an even, round shape. For the areas where I need a smaller radius such as where the front hood flares to receive the reel seat, I take the small sanding drum and shape it from there.

It usually takes several times of final fitting to get a perfect fit. Make sure you make the inlet large enough. It is easy to split the cork if you don't. Mount your seat, then use plenty of rod bond when you mount the grip. As you push the grip into place the excess will flow into the inlet and fill any voids. Wipe everything clean with an alcohol soaked paper towel, check the alignment with the spine, and you are done.

The other suggestions are fine if you are using a pre-made grip or don't want any highlights on the end of the grip. If you do, you have to fit the hood into the grip.

It will take some practice to learn exactly how to do this. This is truly hand crafting and hand fitting. It is part of the craft where we as rod builders can set ourselves apart from mass produced grips and seat combos.

David Edens
Federation of Fly Casters Certified Fly Casting Instructor

Thanks for the helpful replies from all. Can one really call themselves a true 'rodbuilder' without a Dremel? Gonna get me one.