I am looking for a #16 or#17 reelseat wood insert with a flare like shape on top. Basically with a centerpin reel you need to have your hand much closer to the reel in order to keep a finger on the reel. I was thinking of using a 7" cigar handle , leaving the reel footring exposed and hoping to find a wood insert shaped in such a way that the top profile of the grip ,ring and reelseat would have the shape of a long reverse 1/2 wells grip. Any ideas? Thanks

Jason,

I have to admit to some ignorance here as I am not familar with what you mean by a "centerpin" reel. I do suspect,however, that the only way to get what you want is going to be to make it yourself.

If you could give some more info to the dummies like me who aren't quite sure of this type set-up maybe we can get you some more info.

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Tom ,I can tell that you don"t fish great lakes or canada for steelhead a guy with a 13 to 14 foot with center pin reel will out fish any body ,..Using the same flies the fly fisherman use .Here is a link for centerpin reel [www.fishusa.com]

Thanks......I dont think anyone on this board is a dummy, and I hope I dont appear as a prima donna anyway about this centerpin reel thing. A centerpin/float reel is shaped just like a large flyreel(mounts the same....hangs down) and has a exposed rim that you put your finger on to feather or stop the reel from spinning. The reel freespools (like a baitcaster when casting) so when river fishing you can let the spool freeturn as the float/bait is drifting downstream. Because I have to have my pinky finger on the rim or close to during the entire downstream drift (in order to set the hook on a fish) my hand needs to be closer to the reel. If I were to use a reverse1/2 wells grip and a normal flyseat the palm of my hand hangs over into the reelseat area and it just @#$%& to fish that way all day. I have cut off the rear 2" of a 1/2 wells grip and made the rear part of the grip as the reelseat insert and shaped out the cork so the reel would fit. This is comfortable to me as I like this grip, but being picky as I am I would like the insert to be a pretty colored maple or burl rather than cork. Thanks for listening, Jason

I sent you a e-mail with a photo of the seat I think you are looking for? If so let me know and I will try to help you. Regards, Bob

You would think that a guy who puts out a rod building magazine would know what a centerpin reel is! Now that you describe it, I know what you are talking about.

The possibilities here are endless and this should be a fun project. Have you considered making/turning and shaping your seat and grip as one unit? This way you could fashion one end and one side from wood, but make the top half from cork all the way out. This is hard to describe in words though.

Another option would be to use something like the Fuji IPS seat and shape/turn your own grip to fit it. That would put the reel almost under the heel of your hand. No, you wouldn't have the nice wood with it, but you could fashion some other wood trim like a hosel or end cap.

Also, there is a reel foot extension, I think it is from Abel and called an "Abel Arm" that can be fitted to some reels that moves the reel down and forward. Just some ideas.

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Thankyou Tom and Bob for your input. I appreciate it. I have some things and options to look into now.

Hi Jason. I know exactly what you mean. To help alleviate this problem, I use uplocking reel seats with a hooded insert. I shape my foregrip without the wells, keeping my palm higher up off the rim of the reel. My pinky still reaches the rim without the discomfort. Another method would be to use a "w" fitting and ring assembly but then you wouldn't have your nice wood insert.
Up here in BC, a lot of us also control the centrepin rotation using the forefinger of the hand on the rear grip thus eliminating the need for your hand on the foregrip to be so close to the reel. This is especially helpful when you have a 27 lbs steelhead bucking and thrashing downriver!
I've been using a centrepin for most of life and wouldn't driftfish any other way.

Goodluck

Tony
Peregrine Custom Rods
White Rock, BC