Travis expands on this on a post in his blog, flyanglersonline.com: Like some anglers today, anglers in Halfords day preferred the heavier brass reel to balance their rod. Halford found this an argument most incomprehensible on the part of the angler, and the most ignorant on the part of the tacklemaker . If a rod maker could not make a rod that was properly balanced without loading it with a lump of metal at the butt end it is time he was taught better . Halford had a point: rods in those days were often long and heavy
Bob also had children from a prior union
Orvis ships it pre-balanced, with the reel, line, backing and leader already matched to the rod
Seal of Approval from Field and Stream Magazine Being named "Best Small Stream Fly Rod" by Field and Stream Magazine is no small feat
Caught a good sized large mouth 4lb fish on it
Take the time to learn the FG knot at home, and you'll be rewarded with a connection thats virtually unbreakable and casts like a dream.