Magazines - a considered view

[rayner]

I know Alan Scotthorne used tackle other than Drennan whilst being sponsored by them,what irks is these guys still sing the praises of their sponsors gear if they use it or not...

I don't doubt he does, it's probably better than his sponsors product.
It comes down to knowing which side is buttered.
I for one think Drennan products generally are far better than other leading manufacturers.
Preston and Maver to name two.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I always had a good laugh when seeing one of the sponsored anglers holding a fish wearing a pristine and ironed T shirt or polo . . . . . knowing that he had to change for the photo . . .

 

[steve2]

Went into my local newsagents yesterday and looked at the magazine rack there were very few fishing magazines not even the Anglers Mail or Angling Times. The reason I found out was that very few were selling and he as given the space over to the Celeb/ TV type magazines that he can always sell. Looking in other shops it would appear it's the same.

 

[nottskev]

Went into my local newsagents yesterday and looked at the magazine rack there were very few fishing magazines not even the Anglers Mail or Angling Times. The reason I found out was that very few were selling and he as given the space over to the Celeb/ TV type magazines that he can always sell. Looking in other shops it would appear it's the same.

I'm not surprised to read that. The economics of print publications has been explained on here a few times, and it's a tide you can't really swim against.

The days when I really looked forward to the weeklies and monthlies were, I suppose, before the internet brought me its endless opportunity to browse fishing stuff for the cost of my broadband subscription. But I do miss the quality of journalism and presentation that was often, if not always a feature of print, and, standing much as your shelf of books does to Kindle, a stack of weekly or monthly mags was a great resource for a certain type of relaxation and reference. No, not that kind of mags.

It would be crazy to ignore the huge amount of quality stuff available online, and I don't, but user-generated content includes lots of things like, for instance, the video I watched, or rather, couldn't bear to watch yesterday evening. Stumbling on a video from an off-the-beaten track river in Ireland, where I'd spend two fishing holidays and recognised the swims, I clicked on it eagerly, to find it had no continuity, made no sense and had no voice -track, only the most unbearable muzak throughout.

I'd like to buy print publications, ( I usually want to ask the people who read them via subscription to a generic mag reader what they think they will be reading when nobody buys the print edition) but as they spiral down, it gets less attractive to invest in them. There are only so many “How to shot your waggler”, "Catch a margin monster" or “Which feeder do I chose?” articles a man can stand. But I'll give them a browse in the shop, and if there's a couple of especially interesting articles or pieces on places I might like to visit, I'll cough up the price. Of the monthlies, I find that Match Fishing is most likely to have something stimulating lurking between the ads and the reviews, although the type of fishing I like is not big on F1's and carp, so I'm a bit like the sea angler who buys AT and gets two pages.

On balance, it has probably never been easier to access stuff about fishing, and indeed, contact other anglers. But it's not all gain, for me.

 

[thecrow]

I get the mail and the times most weeks, I don't buy them though they are given to me by another chap that fishes.

I flick through them to see if there is anything of interest to me but most times there isn't its the same old stuff that has been done a hundred times or there are reviews of tackle that all proclaim how wonderful the tackle is ( I cant remember ever having read a bad review it cant all be wonderful) pictures of other anglers catches which unless i know the angler or the venue I don't really capture my interest so really there isn't much if anything that would get me to buy them.

 

[greenie62]

As per the Thread title - I would need a few Scrumpies before I buy any fishing magazines or papers!

 

[sam vimes]

As per the Thread title - I would need a few Scrumpies before I buy any fishing magazines or papers!

I had considered making a similar point, but decidered against it.

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

I got a Kings Ransom when I sold my complete set of Creel Magazines....but needs must at the Time.

I would pay double now to get them back.

Proper writers and anglers. Atmospheric articles, actually more like stories. And sometimes they blanked.

Haven't bought a Fishing Magazine since completing my two folders of the BS magazine.

 

[Mark Wintle]

I've spent some of this week - on the cold days - integrating and sorting my fishing magazine collections, especially Angling Times and worryingly I seem to have a vast selection though by no means the most complete in the UK. Variously: Angling Times 63 to 66 (some), almost all 1972 to 1987, various 1990s and 2000s, Angler's Mail - 1973 to 75 plus various since, Creel, Waterlog, Angling, Fishing, Angler's World, Fisherman, Coarse Fisherman, Classic Angling, The Angler's News, CAT, Specialist Angler, David Hall's Coarse Fishing, Big Fish World, Match Fishing, Angling Plus, Match Angling Plus, Angling Times Advanced, Coarse Angler, some Advanced Pole Fishing, IYCF, and a few more besides.

 

[barbelboi]

I haven't bought any mags for many a year. During the 60's I bought Creel, and Fishing - along with the AT which I kept with until about 15 years ago. Still got the No 1 issue of Creel Graham if you want to make an offer I can't refuse.........

 

[Molehill]

It's a long, long time since I bought fishing or hobby/sport magazines, the first few years of waterlog until I became bored with that as well. The internet has changed the gathering of information immensely and nowadays if I want to know something specific I can ask or look it up immediately. But I don't get any kind of buzz from reading other anglers fishing stories, well rarely.

But I think magazines will continue to have a place for the total beginners, if you know nothing then it is difficult to know what to ask or search for on the internet. A weekly/monthly publication gives you something to browse and introduces you to what a waggler or hair rig is - with pictures.

The limitation of this is when you reach the second or third season and realise that you read "how to target winter roach" or " best surface carp rig" the same time last season and the one before, from here on, the internet can suffice for information and maybe books (online?) for more descriptive stories and anecdotes.

So I think hard copy publications will dwindle but still a few publications remain on the shelves, until these also turn to online only mags for the next generation.

 

[fishplate42]

When I started this thread a few months ago, I had decided not to buy any magazines on a regular basis. Since then I have only bought two. A single copy of AT and recently a copy of IYCF. The reason for buying them was because they both had something on the cover that interested me, something I was not interested before; winter fishing for predators. Yes, I have done a bit of dropshotting for perch, but that is all. This year I am planning to get out there on the rivers and bother a few pike and bigger perch with some dead-bait.

The articles looked interesting at a glance, but on getting the magazine home, sitting down with a cupper to read my eagerly savored offering, I discovered that what took up several pages was read in a few minutes. The pages included very basic (general) stuff such as tying knots and cutting braid, some large grainy composite pictures nothing at all about how to fish.

I tried finding something else to read and ended up putting the magazine down and turning to the internet to try and find out what the article I had just read, failed to tell me. No wonder I gave up buying magazines.

I too am not a fan of reading factual reports of other people's fishing trips that only talk about the fishing. You know the sort of thing, that start with "I set my gear up and cast, I did not catch a fish but then I did and then I caught another one..." You know the sort of thing. I try in my own blog to talk about the whole experience, not just the fishing trips but all the other things that go with fishing. I write it for my own enjoyment and a personal record, but others do read it, so I try and make it more like a story than a report. Like it or loath it, it is there for anyone to read, but nobody is expecting anybody to pay for the privileged!

Ralph.

 

[mikench]

I lose interest when each "expert" tells you which rod, reel, feeder , float etc he used ,and guess what, each item is provided by that experts sponsor!

I cannot then accept their advice! I would love a truly negative assessment!

 

[old tom]

I sometimes wonder if the price has caused a decline in people buying fishing magazines.

 

[Philip]

I always had a good laugh when seeing one of the sponsored anglers holding a fish wearing a pristine and ironed T shirt or polo . . . . . knowing that he had to change for the photo . . .

Carpers are good for that. Carry a bag load of different teeshirts with a different bait company name on each one.

Agree to publish the photo of you holding the big fish wearing the Tee shirt of the company that gives you the most free bait.

 

[thecrow]

There used to be a fairly well known Coventry angler that carried a white jumper as he maintained that a fish always looked bigger against white clothing.

 

[mikench]

The format never changes! I have seen venues recommended with certain tactics and certain locations that I know but do not recognise! A joke!

 

[103841]

This year I am planning to get out there on the rivers and bother a few pike and bigger perch with some dead-bait.
Ralph.

Only 29 days left Ralph, GET A MOVE ON!

 

[laguna]

I only ever used to subscribe to hobby mags to find out new things, learn and dare I say it master new things?
I think that's why most people buy magazines.. as an introductory read of 'how to do it' and be inspired. Thereafter we turn to the internet which is one big library of things to tap into - for free!

The magazines and periodicals have a limited audience these days and their shelf-life limited to weeks not months as they once did. If any are to survive they need to cut costs and slim down the pages knowing fine well there is no loyalty among readers any more.