Jeff
After reading this excert from Castwell's column a while back, I hope you reconsider and not bother sage.
"So, now 'lets bring it home.' I buy a fly rod. It is for fishing. It breaks (notice I did not day 'I' broke it, or I broke it while fishing, or it broke while I was fishing with it) and therefore must be defective. It was designed and fabricated for fishing and 'IT' broke while doing so. No other reason, defective. And, remember, I am not responsible. It is guaranteed for life. (Mine I guess) Anyway, I am the customer, 'IT' is broke, it must be defective, and it is guaranteed. Fix it. I am entitled. The guarantee did not spell out any exclusions, covered everything.
How did our fly rod companies ever get forced into this untenable situation? If they stay in business it will be a miracle. Why does a new guy just getting into fly fishing even think that the delicate rod he just bought is unbreakable? It is a fly rod, not an Ugly Stik. Right, he doesn't know it will. But, he could care less.
Some company just give a full guarantee. Stupid. When in the future we all take a ethical attitude on products we purchase and do not expect them to hold up to unreasonable violence will we ever again return to the days of high quality and reasonable prices. Who is responsible for the higher prices? You are. You and your demanding a full guarantee on everything."
" If a man is truly blessed, he returns home from fishing to the best catch of his life." Christopher Armour