Let me offer a father's perspective on this topic. Fifteen years ago, my 3 sons and I entered the world of fly fishing. I learned my lesson early that kids, newbies, and fly rods are a recipe for breakage. We probably averaged 2 broken rods a year. I know some of the breakage was our fault, but was never on purpose and all part of the fishing experience. If it was not for the unconditional warranty I could not have afforded to keep my 3 kids fly fishing. Accepting the responsibility for the breakage was not the issue. On a teacher’s salary, the warranties kept my family fly fishing. For example, about 10 years ago we got a good price on a used snow mobile. The second season my middle son totaled the snow mobile. My son admitted it was his fault but that was not the issue. We could not afford to replace or repair the snow mobile. We do not snow mobile anymore……. but we do fly fish. Any company policy that keeps people fishing has got to be viewed as a good policy. Without it, this teacher and his 3 sons would have been forced to quit many years ago. I am sure there are some out there that have broken rods on purpose to take advantage of a warranty. My youngest son broke his first fly rod trying to release the fly off a snag. He was 12 at the time. I am just glad that I did not have to tell him that he would have to wait a year to fish again until we could afford to replace the rod…..and I am even more glad that I never had to face the temptation of lying to the fly rod manufacturer that the fly rod was broken by a fish to get a warranty repair.

caribe