They hold up great dunfly. I have some personal use 7wts/8wts and even switch rods I have built myself that have had BUL5's on them for years now with no issues. I personally feel too much emphasis is put on using big reel seats on 7/8wt rods. I'm of the thinking that as long as the hoods are big enough to fit the intended reel foot then there's no need to add weight to the rod with big hardware.

Steve