Genuine Bellinger
W hat's the first thing you notice on a fly rod? I bet it's the reel seat. It sure is for me. The most beautiful and classy reel seats manufactured for rod builders in the last 20 years was Genuine Bellinger. They made traditional reel seats in nickel silver hardware, with the finest wood spacers you could hope to find on the market. I was surprised when the owners announced their retirement at the beginning of 2025, along with the sale of their business to Mike Mcfarland. About ten years ago, I purchased three reel seats from the Bellinger company. One of them, a sliding band seat was used in a custom build by Ben of Flat Creek Rods. I had a vintage Winston build kit with 7'6" 4wt blank, cork handle, sock and tube that I had sitting in my closet for a few years. Ben took those components and built a fantastic rod that is perfect for my home waters. Yeah, it's a Morgan-era kit that one doesn't run into but rarely. And, that Bellinger sliding band seat was in ...
