polemis, from where is sit i will tell you "dont cut anything off your rod!" because first, you will void your warranty. second, you will loose power in the butt. also, moving componants around on a built rod is a pretty big hunk to bite off. unless you are a rod builder.
now in order for you to actually fish and enjoy your rod you can do whatever it takes. especially if you know some one to do the work for you. i cannot give you a difinate answer as to why you have never seen this rod before. i will also tell you this, go ahead and fish this rod. if it is not everything you want then you can try another. you can have too many rods but never all that you want. Aloha....