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Slide band reel seats
Post 13 Jan 2023, 20:30 • #1 
Sport
Joined: 12/24/22
Posts: 69
Location: Columbia River Gorge
I like the Lemke but what else can anyone recommend that comes in black? It’s going on a Lami honey 7ft 3wt.

Thanks!


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Post 13 Jan 2023, 21:24 • #2 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/26/10
Posts: 547
Location: Montana
Ray Lee/RL Reel Seats (sells on eBay) would be worth a look. He may be able to find a very dark piece of walnut or maybe ebony for you. I
Really like his pocketed cap slide band seats.


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Post 13 Jan 2023, 22:48 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/26/21
Posts: 383
Location: North West Georgia
I also really like RL reel seats. They will be wood insert slide band real seats. Ray is very easy to work with and a stand up guy. Its an American product made my american hands at a price that is hard to argue with.

The only thing to watch out for is the bore size. The largest thru hole Ray offers on his pocket style reel seats is 0.435". This is often too small for fiberglass fly rod butts. Fitting a stint is relatively easy if you decide to go this direction.


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Post 13 Jan 2023, 23:39 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/31/15
Posts: 1238
Location: Northern Rockies
This is another vote for Ray Lee. I have used his seats on a number of builds, and I’ll be using his work again in the near future.


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Post 14 Jan 2023, 00:04 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/05/10
Posts: 5229
Location: Mid Hudson Valley of New York
I agree RLee's work is nice and I have used it on several builds. His hardware is available in bright and blued nickel. Are you looking for black anodized or powder coated aluminum? Rick's Rods has some NOS Pac Bay seats with black hardware.


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Post 14 Jan 2023, 08:07 • #6 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/19/12
Posts: 1007
Location: Beantown
Perhaps redundant, but agree 100% on Ray Lee's seats, and doing the stint work is easy if needed.


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Post 14 Jan 2023, 09:43 • #7 
Guide
Joined: 08/11/20
Posts: 229
Location: Ontario, Canada
Ray Lee's reel seats are nice and he's a great guy to deal with. He has "blued" hardware, which is a darkened nickel, but not black. Matt at Proof https://www.proofflyfishing.com/ offers black hardware. He is also fantastic to work with.


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Post 14 Jan 2023, 10:08 • #8 
Sport
Joined: 03/28/21
Posts: 70
RL is the best and responds quickly to your requests or comments. I just got a cap and ring seat for my next build 7' 3wt 5pc with a beautiful spalted maple burl insert. Should look really good with the amber colored blank. I don't think you can go wrong with his seats and inserts.
Chris


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Post 14 Jan 2023, 11:55 • #9 
Sport
Joined: 12/24/22
Posts: 69
Location: Columbia River Gorge
Thanks everyone!
Have any of you used his seats on a Lami 703?

If so how was the fit?


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Post 14 Jan 2023, 12:40 • #10 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 01/02/12
Posts: 1859
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
Ray Lee hardware will fit any insert with the right diameter. Nothing to do with brand of rod. He gives the internal diameters of all his rings and caps, so check those measurements against what you intend to mount them on. Pay attention to the pictures and his descriptions as he sells both pocketed and non pocketed cap and ring sets, don’t buy the wrong one. His cap and rings are all that I use and ordered another set for a new build.


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Post 14 Jan 2023, 13:44 • #11 
Sport
Joined: 03/15/22
Posts: 26
Location: Canon City Colorado
I agree about Ray Lee reel seats. I have used about 20 to 25 of his reel seats and like them all. Like someone else said check your diameter of the blank for the wood insert. I've used them on bamboo fly rods and they really look nice.


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Post 14 Jan 2023, 16:37 • #12 
Sport
Joined: 08/04/18
Posts: 77
Location: US-CT
I'll second a recommendation for Matt-Proof Fishing, very helpful and always willing to answer any questions and provide advice.


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Post 14 Jan 2023, 17:17 • #13 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
Here’s a Ray Lee reel seat on a Lami 703 for reference. If you’re using a pre-made cork grip, you’ll want the no inlet option. All of the seats I’ve bought from Ray have been excellent quality. One notable benefit of buying from RL is you can see pictures of the actual wood insert on eBay before you buy it. I also regularly buy components from Proof, and I would bet Matt’s seats are great as well.



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Post 14 Jan 2023, 21:19 • #14 
Master Guide
Joined: 08/23/19
Posts: 371
Location: North Central Oregon
another vote for Ray Lee and for Matt at Proof flyfishing.

Pic of Ray Lee seat on a 7'5" 4wt Bens of Holland blank


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Post 15 Jan 2023, 02:29 • #15 
Sport
Joined: 12/24/22
Posts: 69
Location: Columbia River Gorge
That Lami looks nice! Thanks for all the input. I messaged Ray to see if he has anything in black. I really want a black slide band. I already have a reel I want to put on this rod. Old school Abel TR1 in black. I think the black seat and guides is the way I want to go on this build.

If he doesn’t I can get one from Matt at Proof. I have an NFC 4wt Iconoglass I’m about to build for my dad and I got everything for that build from Matt. Great to work with.
Thanks for the help!


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Post 15 Jan 2023, 07:24 • #16 
Guide
Joined: 06/08/18
Posts: 293
Location: Boston , MA
A +1 for Ray Lee , for all the reasons mentioned , Matt Draft also , and don’t know if it was mentioned , but may want to check out Ron Webers stuff at Southwest Custom Rods , he does some beautiful work and I believe he has the ability for some larger bores with the insert … ?


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Post 15 Jan 2023, 09:02 • #17 
Guide
Joined: 01/25/13
Posts: 338
Location: Avondale Az
That Blank has a .427 butt OD, and we would bore the insert to .437 for a minimum of arboring. That being said, we do have a black LC14 slide band in stock, and probably one of the largest assortment of stabilized woods to turn for the insert


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Post 15 Jan 2023, 09:45 • #18 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/31/15
Posts: 1238
Location: Northern Rockies
Ron recently at SWCR recently did some inserts for me, and he was a pleasure to deal with. The inserts turned out very nicely. The hardest thing is narrowing down the choices.


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Post 15 Jan 2023, 20:08 • #19 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/12/07
Posts: 1292
Location: western Massachusetts
Ron is always a pleasure to deal with, and his wood is stabilized.


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Post 20 Jan 2023, 20:54 • #20 
Sport
Joined: 12/24/22
Posts: 69
Location: Columbia River Gorge
The butt diameter is .405
Why wouldn’t the LC 16 work on it?

Sorry, meant for SWCR


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Post 21 Jan 2023, 07:54 • #21 
Guide
Joined: 01/25/13
Posts: 338
Location: Avondale Az
It would, if you use a stent. That insert is generally .420 bore ID so when you take into consideration the .705 overall OD, less the .90 mortise the wall is pretty thin between the bore and the mortise.


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Post 21 Jan 2023, 11:48 • #22 
Sport
Joined: 12/24/22
Posts: 69
Location: Columbia River Gorge
Thanks! I was wondering about that. Not super experienced and it’s been 10 years since I last built a rod. I’ll keep looking but I may hit you up on the other seat. So a pocketed seat is the way to go on this it looks like.


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Post 21 Jan 2023, 18:40 • #23 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/09
Posts: 5561
Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
I've used Lemke downloading seats on a bunch of rods, and had Ron (swcr) turn seats for me and I have always been satisfied.

One thing I like when getting a seat and insert from Ron is that he knows the rods and when things arrive, the insert and reel seats don't need any adjustments.


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Post 04 Feb 2023, 21:39 • #24 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/02/14
Posts: 537
Location: US- Northern CO
Ray Lee's seats not only look good they lock a reel very nicely. often i can fish all day and not make an adjustment.


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