Hi,
What reel seats and rod guides does every body like for a 4 piece 9 ft 12 wt salt water fly rod.
I'm using a Tiger Eye blank and a wood and cork handle. First heavy rod.
Has any body used EVA for fly rod grips?

Thanks for any help
Mike

Mike's Custom Fly Rods

EVA is way to soft for fly grips. EVA on the ends with a cork center where the hand grips the rod would be ok.

I agree with Spencer, go with cork and seal it well. Eva foam and Hypalon do not have the right feel. I built one for a customer that insisted, and he ended up paying to have it taken off and replaced with cork finally.

Foam is too soft for the constant motion that is involved in fly casting. You'll find that your hand gets very fatigued. Use cork or wood or something else that does not compress.

Ok
I got the no EVA ,but what about the rest of my post?

Mike

My saltwater rod has a Stuble U-22 in Ti color and Pac Bay LCNSG strippers and LCFSG SF ceramic fly guides. Probably would have went with the pressed ring guides if they had them then, but I don't think they have a pressed ring tip top yet.

Mike,

Use cork for the grip and cork for the fighting grip if you want one. A number 16 Fuji reel seat is plenty big, if the reel is really large go with a size 17 cut back to the same length as a 16. Guides should be all purpose titanium frames with ceramic rings for the first three strippers followed by single footed titanium fly guides. Sizes are 25,12,10 double footed, 10,10,8,8,8,8, single foot fly. Do not skimp on the guides. Do not use snakes.

Michael A Taylor
Bluewater Fly Tackle

Mike,
Since you are going to use this in salt, I would use either titanium alloy frames or 316 stainless steel frames. I would choose either SiC rings or zirconia rings (nanolite is a form of zirconia I undestand from the folks at American Tackle) . For a nine foot 12 wt I would choose 10 guides, three double foot stripping guides (20, 12, 10) and 7 single foot ceramic guides probably #8s. I would mount the second stripper about 4 inches ahead of the butt stripping guide to act as a line tamer. I find this gives a bit more distance. If you take care of your tackle by washing, rinsing, and drying your tackle after each use, the stainless steel frames will last as long as the titanium alloy with much less cost. As for your grip, I would seal the cork or burl cork with PermaGloss or Tru-Oil. Good luck.

Mike Blomme

Thanks for the input I was leary about using snakes, figured I would get good info. here. And I don't plan on skimping any where with this rod.
I hope to maybe work a trade or sell after I go fishing in Mertle Beach SC this October.

Mike

Mike's Custom Fly Rods

I would use a set up like one of these, depending on the connections you need to pass-

High frame 16, then the same in a 12 then #10 low frame single foots on out.

Or...

High fame 16, then a high frame 10 and then #8 low frame single foots on out.

Using fewer different sizes will provide you with a little bit smoother and straighter line path.

I would use Forhan Locking Wraps on all the single foot guides.

............

I second what Tom said, with one exception: on my 10-weights, I've learned to like a size 20 stripper. I've tried a 16, but it seemed to me to cast better with a high-frame 20 stripper. You might be OK with a 16, but throw in a 20 during test casting to see if you notice a difference. On a 12-weight, you might.

I use my fly rods hard (in the Jersey surf), so they get exposed to salt, etc. I've never had a problem with any saltwater aluminum reel seat -- you don't need something fancy or expensive just because it's a salty fly rod.