I am new to rod building and am getting started on only my second rod a 9ft 4 pc.9wt fly rod. However in looking on line and through the catalogs I have,(Janns Netcraft, American Tackle, and Mud Hole) I cant seem to find removable fighting butt parts to create my own. Could someone please point me in the right direction for parts and maybe some idea of what is involved.

check out Anglers Workshop or give Todd Vivian a call at Mud Hole
Good Wraps bob

You'd have to look at the seat manufacturer's catalogs or websites to see what they offer along those lines. Most fighting butt "kits" come with everything to make that particular butt. You can buy one, toss the insert or cork and make one of your own. Or you can work from scratch. We've done a few articles in RodMaker on scratch making fighting butts.

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I'm confused here(Again; still)

I see 'fighting butts' described which are merely butt extensions to get the reel out a bit to aid in reeling. We used to call them 'belly butts'

The fighting butts that I'm used to were a long piece of stock that extended inside the blank.

It was removed for casting,but when a fish was hooked, it was pushed up inside the rod butt to make it more rigid. It was used for fighting BIG! fish.

It may be obsolete like me. Please advise.

Both. Nowadays, many fly reel seats can be purchased with removable fighting butts that extend the butt of the rod by about 2 inches, sometimes 4 inches depending on model.

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Try Wild River distributing, they have detachable fighting butts and they are good people to work with.

There is a long list of sponsors to the left that also have detachable fighting butts and who are equally good people to work with. And... they help foot the bills here with their sponsor fees. I would hope folks that use and benefit from this forum and its many related resources will give the sponsors first shot at their business.

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FWIW, I build by fighting butts on the blank. One last thing for me to lose.

I may have asked the question wrongly but I'm talking about a long piece of stock which probably extended the length by a few inches, but actually extended up inside the rod blank to stiffen and strengthen it. The rod butt was open for casting but when a fish was on, you jammed this long piece of stock inside the blank.

The reason for asking is that I have an old saltwater flyrod used for tarpon and sharks that is built this way. This piece is perhaps 6 inches long. Maybe I should go fishing. C2

You can certainly make one like that. Nothing wrong with it.

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Hi Scott,

I was confused the first time I purchased a fly rod fighting butt too. Mudhole carries what you want, and if you follow the link below you will go to the page that lists them.
What is not explained is that the small extension you see on the butt is a sleeve that the fighting butt stem is threaded into. If you order the butt, you also get the sleeve you need to install it.

[www.mudhole.com]

You may also want to purchase the fighting butt cap for when you use the rod without the butt attached.

Hope that helps,

Walt

[www.rodbuilding.org]

I don't know if you can get these any more, but this fighting but is integral to the reel seel. Turn the but cap and it unlock, slide the fighting but out, turn again and it locks into place.

Thank you everyone but I believe I asked the wrong question. I am trying to find the insert and the plug to attach my own cork to to create a fighting butt. I am trying to get away from a store bought "generac' style butt.

Yep, wrong question.

Joe at Black Dog Tackle carries those.

Link in the Sponsor's list or click here:
[www.blackdogtackle.com]


Walt

Scott-Chick

The first thing you must remember when designing a fighting butt is it is only another ferrule. It is not any different than the ferrules used to connect the sections of the rod together. To make one is simple.
Build the rod as normal and don't worry about the fighting butt until you have finished everything else. Take a piece of hardwood doweling and taper it so that you have a nice tight fit inside of the butt of the rod blank. Cut the doweling so that you can bond corks, eva or what ever you decide on to the end protruding from butt section. Size and shape to your liking. Done. If you want a removable one leave as is if you prefer non-removable just bond in place.

PS I use graphite golf shafts to do mine, but the doweling is available at any hardware store.

Thank you very much for that incredible tip.

Long ago I responded to similar question the same way I am responding tothis one.

The best fighting butt reel seats made were an independent brand picked up by Cortland, maybe 15 years ago now.

Machined, anodized aluminum, used to be offered in various colors besides brushed and polished aluminum, with SCREW-IN rubber button bottomed fighting butts ranging 1-inch (with added 1-inch rubber button); 2" you add cork; 4-inch, you add cork.

Some good stuff out there, but none compare to these reel-seat, grip combos.

Easy enough to go to Cortland site and review...outside of these for appropriate rods, only seats I now use are graphite, usually Fuji.

Hive