Why are fly reel seats usually made of aluminum, titanium or other metal? And why are spinning and bait reel seats generally made of graphite?
Where can I find bait reel seats made of aluminum or other metal?

IMHO the fly seats are not touched except for reel attachment - detachment so don't have to be comfortable in your hand.
Metal is shinny, pretty, and is traditional. Spinning and casting seats have to be comfortable to hold and not to hot or to cold.
Metal casting seats are usually "new old stock" except for some very heavy salt water applications.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Lakeland makes a metal reelseat with a trigger. I think the smallest one was somewhere in the 18 mm range.Mudhole I think has them.
There used to be some 16 mm wood trigger reelseats available from Pac Bay, Custom Tackle tells me they are out of them. I have only a few left. There is one being custom built by one of our posters that I've seen in the photo section a few times.
Metal reelseats and cold weather can be a miserable combination.

i think ray's part right. fly reel seats are made of pretty metal because of tradition. the metal itself is often chosen to compliment the rest of the rod. at least as a beginning rod wrapper, i often consider the reel seat its insert and hardware as much as the blank itself. other rods... and i'm guessing here, other rods are made to simply fish. both fish well, but i don't think the others are as stuck to the traditional aspect as fly rods are. they look good too, and look "right" for their uses.

ok, not meant as a definitive answer on my part, but perhaps as a germ of an answer. anyone want to further this thought or counter it?

eric
fresno, ca.

Hello Eijiro,
Raymond is quite correct about not touching the reel seat in fly fishing (in general). However, in times past spinning and casting reel seats were made of a variety of metals (anodized aluminum, Chrome plated brass, chromium plated steel and so forth), but mostly we see graphite spiinig and casting reel seats today. Those who fish in very cold weather feel the graphite reel seats feel warmer. I think that Tom Kirkman also said he thought graphite reel seats also held the reel more securely. I still prefer the metal reel seats for spinning. I have yet to have a reel come loose (maybe I don't catch large enough fish).

Pacific Bay make some all aluminum reel seats. I think that you could probably use an oversized fly reel seat. I suspect that the A9 or A-8 reel seats made by Batson, Pacific Bay, and American tackle might be large enough to hold a spinning or casting reel and you can get those reel seats with a variety of finishes and inserts.

There is also the question of aesthetics. I personally find the graphite reel seats to be ugly. As such I try to use metal reel seats as much as possible. This is only a personal choice. I also prefer to not fish when the temperature is below 32 F, so I don't have a problem with the coldness.

Besides the companies mentioned above, you might look and REC, Bellinger, and Struble. They are a bit pricier, but are of excellent quality. Good luck with your project.

Mike Blomme