jgestar wrote:
The Royalist 370 weighs 4.1 oz empty. The 370 takes
a lot of backing. That much dacron will push the weight up quickly.
One think that can be done is to build out the arbor on these lighter, but larger reels. You can take a cork ring that is use for rod building, cut it in half and ream it out to fit around the arbor and then use electrical tape to clamp it on. I've seen the same type of job done with sheet foam, but it seemed a bit squishy for me.
I have a Battenkill Mk IV that I've been meaning to turn into a "large arbor" 4wt reel for the past few years. Oh the Battenkill MkIII would probably be nice if you want a light reel.