Hi Everyone,

For the 4 weight fly rod I'm building I was wondering what the best method for securing the reel seat would be. Should I use graphite, foam, cork or simply tape for the bushing to secure the reel seat.

Given that with a fly rod you hold the rod by the cork handle sensitivity, I would presume, is a non-issue with the rigidity of the arbor/bushing. Rather, I would think the weight factor is more important.

Any comments and/or thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Preston

I don´t think there is "THE BEST WAY" , tape works, also other materials.
Try them.

All you need is something to shim the rod to the reelseat.What is the clearance you have to shim? what is the out side diameter of the rod to the inside diameter of the reelseat?
Bob

From what I have understood, if little shimming is required, tape will work effectively. If you have quite a gap to fill, I would suggest arbors. I try very hard to always order the reel seat as close to the butt size as possible. I would rather file away a little than build up large gaps.

Hi, Preston again...

To give you more details:

The butt diameter of the blank is .343 and the I.D. of
the seat is .453. So I guess I need to shim .11 of an
inch.

This is all new to me. That doesn't sound like a lot
of shimming needed (and thus why some simply use
tape?).

I just want to keep the weight down and any added
sensitivity would be a bonus. I'm sure my Dad has
extra cork rings lying around but was just wondering
if ordering a graphite arbor was necessary.

Also, if the reel seat is 3.8" long how much of the
blank should I shim? Graphite arbors are only 1" long
so do you need two? (or two or three cork rings). Or do you simply shim the entire length with tape.

Thanks again,
Preston

In his book, Tom suggests using thread wraps to take up the space. I tried it and am pleased with the outcome. E..

Masking tape used as a shim will fail over time. What does work however is fiberglass drywall tape. It is self adherant and easy to control the thickness. I cut the width in half and apply it to top and bottom halves of the seat, leaving a small gap in the middle for the final epoxy to settle. As a matter of preference, I apply a thin coat of 5 minute epoxy over the tape and let it dry before the final installation. I have never had a failure.