BobC, i'm not one to chase after lower weight as well, especially when it comes to reels, maybe I'm missing something. However I like a balanced combo as much as the next angler and that's the hard part because even newer USDM rods like St Croix, TFO, or current crop of Shimano/GLoomis are getting below the 2 oz threshold, that means sooner or later I'll have to save up for the "feather" reel just to keep from butt-heavy in the setup.