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I was wondering why a lot of longer trout rods (8' -8'6" 5wts) seem to be fitted with screw lock reel seats rather than cap and ring. At what point do makers change seat type (if they do at all) and why?  (Callum Ross)

I make the change to screw locking at 7 1/2' (7 1/2' can go either way). Under  7 1/2'  I like slide band seats.  Over 7 1/2' I like screw locks. The reason being the weight of the seat and I just like how that set up looks. It's a personal thing.   (Marty DeSapio)

Last weekend I finished a couple of 8' hollow built seven weights, one for a customer and one for me.  On each rod I installed one of the expensive ($60+) nickel silver screw locking reel seats on each rod.  The seats are from one of the best makers of rod jewelry out there.  They are the seats which have an open butt cap, a slide band, and a screw ring which is supposed to keep the slide band in place.  Both reel seats fit the reel seat well.

In test-casting both of the rods for a few minutes in the driveway I was pleased with how they cast.  Yet in only 10 or 15 minutes of casting, the down-screw portion of the reel seat managed to work loose.  It's aggravating, to say the least.  The slide band portion of the seat did its job and held the reel fast to the rod.  But the screw portion works loose.

Any solutions you might offer other than the redneck option of adding a little duct tape above the screw to keep it snug? <g>

Guess this is a big part of why I offer only sliding seats on most of my rods, huh?  (Harry Boyd)

The butt cap isn't coming loose is it?  That could make the screw be loose.  Also, did you get the screw really tight, or just snug?  I use uplocking screw-lock seats (personal preference) and I've had them work loose sometimes if I didn't crank down hard enough.

I LIKE the duct tape idea though!  (Neil Savage)

I have an uplocking seat that does the same thing. Band stays in place as well. The only other screw locking seat I have has two screw rings which lock each other.    (Pete Van Schaack)

I like uplocking reel seats. I found they stay in place a lot better if I rock the reel side to side as I tighten the screw ring.  (Darryl Hayashida)

I find the same as Darryl But I do have a few that  put a thin coat of clear top coat from the wife's finger nail polish collection on the threads and it last a few times out.  (Ronnie Rees)

I guess I, like everyone else, have problems with those screwgee jobs. I have one rod that doesn't unscrew. Sorry I can't remember if it's the one with the round threads, or the one with the threads interrupted by the cork inlay. Or maybe it has something to do with the TPI.  Dave LeClair should be able to give us some insight.  (Jerry Foster)

It's strange, but I have never had anyone say that the reel came loose on any of my screw locking seats. The slide band, ahead of the  threaded nut on my seats isn't tapered inside like some of them are. Maybe it has something to do with that? Or, it may be the thread pitch  (TPI) mine are a very fine thread. Or it may be the amount of clearance between the  threads. When you cut threads, inside or outside, it makes a big difference  with the initial diameter of the OD or ID of the metal to be threaded. There are  different sizes for how tight you want the threads to be, when screwing them together.

The  threads on your seat may be too loose or possibly too tight and not allowing you to tighten the nut enough.  (Dave LeClair)

This was not a Dave LeClair seat.  It came from one of the big companies, though I'm reluctant to say which one.  No doubt, they do beautiful work, but this one just isn't as functional as I would like.

I think the threads are too loose.  The screw portion turns a little too easily.  (Harry Boyd)

Another  thing is that if the mortise is too deep into the wood, the reel foot may be hitting the locking nut on the other side of the slide  band, before it is really holding the foot tight.  (Dave LeClair)

I've never had any trouble with any of the Aluminum or Titanium seats I've made, but I did have a lot of trouble with one of the two commercial rods I own. The lock nut was very narrow and the threaded barrel was mortised and I had a lot of trouble with the nut coming loose and also cross-threading. The solution for the nut coming loose was to apply a very small amount of rubber cement to the male threads and let it dry. It's been working just fine now for the last year or so.  (Mark Shamburg)

Good idea with the rubber cement on the threads.  Wonder if I might accomplish the same thing by  applying a very light coat of paste wax, then brushing it out of the grooves??  (Harry Boyd)

I'd be afraid wax would make the situation worse instead  of better.  (Neil Savage)

That should work too. But the effect would probably not be as long lasting. Though it would be cleaner.  (Mark Shamburg)

The rod is doomed. Send it to me. I promise that whenever I fish it with duct tape on the seat, I will put a second piece over the signature so they won't know you were the maker.

You can always count on the list for a practical solution to any rodmaking problem.

Try a bit of beeswax on the threads. I have no idea if it will help, but it can't hurt.   (Jeff Schaeffer)

Thanks for all the quick replies.  So far I really like the O-ring idea.  That doesn't involve removing the seat.  It's well glued and would require destroying the wood filler.  Neil, the butt cap isn't coming loose.  It's pinned in place (as all butt caps should be, IMHO).  (Harry Boyd)

I've been looking at turning a few of my own screw lock reelseats. I've turned round section aluminum into a variety of threads from 12 Tpi to 24 Tpi.

All very satisfactory and good practice before I commit to butchering nickel silver.

I'm planning to make up-locking seats and recess the reel foot under the cork. I will make the lock nuts with the included angle recess as described by Garrison in the book. I think I can cut the groove in the hidden hood with a Dremel and files. So far so good, but is there a preferred thread? I think I like 18 TPI best but would appreciate any input especially as I really don't know what I'm doing yet.  (Simon Reilly)

You undoubtedly have a definite plan (drawings?) for your uplock arrangement. Your intention to "recess the reel foot under the cork" is puzzling (to me). Are you referring to the inverted hood? My (down) screw-lock seats are to the Garrison specs, and the (ns) sleeve and lock nuts are threaded 3/4-16. That's a matter of convenience for me, as I'm fortunate to have both tap and die in that size. The threads are turned on the lathe, though. One tube cap and sleeve was made with a fine thread, and that became somewhat of an assembly nuisance. My thought is that 24 TPI would be about the limit, but any thread that suits the maker should be fine (not to be taken literally).   (Vince Brannick)