Paul, I like to use a forstner bit to drill reel seats, but they are short for some projects. You could drill from both ends, but you don't always meet in the center, brad points are probably a better choice and can be purchased from several different places. I have been using a few from Woodcraft [
www.woodcraft.com]# and really like using the metric sizes for fishing rods. It seems to be easier to find the size that I need in metric instead of trying to find a bit in standard fractions, as you increase in size on metrics you will increase by around .040" on every size (10mm = .393, 11mm = .433, 12mm = .472, 13mm = .511). When you go from a standard 7/16" (.437") to 1/2" (.500) you increase in size by .063" so if you are going to go with a new set of bits you may want to look at a metric set instead of a fractional set.
