I Stepped on a Rock and it Rolled – Goodbye XI2 For Now
Needless to say, if you fish a lot, you’ve done some damage at one time or another. I have carefully been waiting for the day that lightning strikes, and something breaks. Today was the day.
To make my painfully, literally, long story short, I decided to make another quick run out to Ray Roberts Dam to see if the weather, or time, or the fish gods, had increased the quality of the sand bass that were obviously there two days ago. I was scatting along the water’s edge, stepped on a rock that seemed good enough, and it rolled like a ball bearing in grease. Face first non-stop with my hands pinned under me and my rod held with the involuntary kung-fu-death-grip.
It took about fifteen seconds just to realize what happened, as the cold water soaked through. I managed to roll off, unfold my backward taco-ed self, groan get up and strip in what line was left out to sink. Sure, there was an audience. There was also something caught in my fly – my rod tip. I’m pretty sure it whipped the surface of the water so hard, that’s what broke it off. Instant replay, still going on, is inconclusive, so the call stands.
Of course I was carrying my newest favorite Sage XI2-7, yes, glad you asked. Two days before Christmas, and the big lady named luck deals me one more hand to remember 2010 for. So this year’s luck will end (now, right now, please) with a bang and a whimper.
We have all heard about the fantastic guarantees by TFO, Sage and others. TFO really is fantastic because I could go in on Monday and get a new tip. So, there’s work to do, and I figured this lemon stinging my scrapes, has to be turned into lemonade somehow. The only thing I can figure to do is take readers along on the Sage Warranty ride, and see how smooth it goes.
All told, there’s a pretty good set of gouge marks that have lifted some of the cork on the grip, dings on the first section – paint missing, and of course the four made into five piece with a removable tip. My first question is, do I even bother to send in the butt section to see if it’s worth replacing the grip, and do the cosmetic changes deserve any attention to find out of they are more than cosmetic? It seems pointless to deal with any of this until after New Year’s since shipping, holidays and vacations basically gum up any company’s works. I would expect things to go wrong until after the folks at Sage have slept off the New Year festivities. 
I am still wondering … if I would have had the time, would I have taken a bolder to the face over injury to my XI2? I don’t want to have to make that choice – ever.
Heck, maybe I am lucky. Except for bloodied clothes, and a broken rod, I still have all my bones and teeth unbroken. Luck is such a fickle mistress.
