I am doing a fly rod build for a friend. He likes the way a tiger wrap looks. I am wanting to do one under the reel seat to match up with the main tiger wrap. I have been trying to find a seat and insert where the insert has enough space to allow me to do a finished tiger wrap on it and still be able to insert it in the reel seat. I can do the tiger wrap part but what I'm struggling with is figuring out how to get the wrap to show through the reel seat wrap but with a close fit like an insert. Any suggestion on how to accomplish this would be appreciated. Thanks

You have to calculate the thickness of the wrap and the finish, the turn the insert the appropriate amount undersize and then proceed with the wrapping

What about doing the tiger wrap directly on the blank. Then have a reelseat insert turned out of clear acrylic. The reel seat hardware would conceal enough area to provide adequate gluing surface on each end of the seat. Think someone on this thread could set you with an insert and do a fine job as he has done for me a time or two.

I would use a skeleton style seat with no insert at all, and the tiger wrap directly on the blank

Ron Weber

Dave,
Just turn a wood insert a little then do the tiger over it. Mark where the insert fits into the reel seat sections and don't do anything to them, so it will still fit tight.

A 'Snake Skin' followed by a 'Tiger' in front of the fore grip is very custom!

There is no fore grip on a fly rod.