Reel Seat Question

[Diane]

Hi, folks. I have a sweet cane blank that I want to turn into a rod. Betty is being ridiculously generous in her help and she and I reached a trade. She's going to do the wrapping and put the whole thing together for me. I've never built a rod yet. I was thinking that I'd turn the grip myself (I've got a good lathe and know how to do that part, have the rings, etc.) and also was thinking of making the reel seat insert. That's where you guys come in. I need recommendations for how to choose a reel seat skeleton.
The parameters:
Rod has nickel silver ferrules, guides will be silver snakes. It will be a 7 ft-ish, 5 wt-ish. The grip will be plain cork, with some burnt cork and maybe some red-stained or green-stained rings, too. Probably a reverse half wells sort of grip. So... if you had, say, $50-ish to spend on a reel seat with or without the insert, which one would you get?

I need to figure that out before I can make the insert, yes? I'd love some advice on how to figure out the dimensions for the reel seat insert.

I'm also thinking of a stripping guide with reddish or greenish agate. So please feel free to recommend one of those, too.

Thanks for any wisdom!

[Midwest Custom Fly Rods]

Hi Diane, I'd be happy to make some suggestions on the reel seat hardware, but first- do you want slide band ring hardware or down locking threaded hardware? let me know that and I'll give you some links to some nice stuff.

As to the Agate stripper guide I would suggest "Snake Brand" Agates. http://www.snakeguides.com/products.php they are about the finest quality out there in my opinion. Struble does make some nice ones as well but lately struble has been making their agates as people order and not keeping a stock of them so guys have been waiting as long as a month or more for a Struble Agate. Pacific Bay also makes some decent looking Agate strippers but they are very limited to colors. Only two different choices of color with them.



Steve

[Diane]

I prefer a down locking reel seat for this rod. Thanks for the link to Snake Brand.

[Midwest Custom Fly Rods]

For a down locking threaded barrel seat I'd suggest a Struble either D1, D3, D8 or D20. Anyone of them are good hardware so it's just a choice of which one looks best to you. About the best price on them comes from J.Stockard http://www.jsflyfishing.com/cgi-bin/category/43700 and you can get just the hardware if you click the drop down menu for the insert choice there is a choice that says "skeleton only". That way you can turn your own wood insert if you like.

Steve

[rockthief]

Diane - Joel Lemke

[SteveP]

Struble no question, and I too would go with a down locking just exactly as referred to above.

Steve

[mnklagoon]

Struble D-20!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that would be sweet on cane!

[herefishy]

Second Joel Lemke.

[Diane]

Thanks, folks. You rock.