I got my hands on some of the very last Madagascar rosewood, now Madagascar government banned for export.
It was not cheap.
What I am looking for is a top of the line fly reel seat, skeleton preferably, one in titanium, one in gold and one in silver or chrome.
I have looked in the sponsors list and found some good choices, but I want to hear your opinion's on which one's you like.
I don't want any of the tin type hoods,stamped hoods?
These won't be on anything bigger than a six wt.

Maybe should be another post, but what are the different seat sizes I.E. U-1 U-13

I don't build many fly rods so not really up to snuff on the sizes and terms for fly rods.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2008 11:26AM by Tim Hurst.

Tim,

The nicest manufactured reel seats for a high end fly rods that I have seen have been the ones made by Winston with the Bellinger and Struble lines being tied for second. I can't speak for the REC seats since I have never held one to look at it up close and personal.

The problem is that the classier offerings from these companies are in Nickel Silver. They may exist but I have not seen TI reel seats offered on anything but larger slat water fly seats.

IF you have a metal lathe with screw cutting capabilities you should make your own. I know where you can get a few feet of CP or 3al2.5v Ti bar and tube stock. Skeleton reel seats are not really that complex to make. The hardest part is cutting the threads.

Ray

REC has greatly improved its component line in the last few years. I think you might be very impressed with their seats these days.

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

I also am very impressed by REC's offerings. Struble also makes great fly seats. You can choose between seats that need a mortised insert or simply a round insert (the REC NBS comes to mind here).


Walt

I guess I am going to open this one up again. I was looking for some plans to make some skeleton seats and found some bamboo type slip style but really want to give the threading of the seat a try for an uplocking and downlocking pattern. I found some 1" Nickel Silver at Jansens (wish I could find some tubing) so I am ready to go. I am working off dimensions of some skeletons I have laying around, but learn better by seeing it done. Any sites available? If not, there soon will be one! Mostly of what not to do I am sure.

Thanks

Ted