The lack of good fishing articles.

[Peter Jacobs]

It is very difficult to combine a good writing style with angling knowledge, and while many have tried over the years, only a few have succeeded . . . but then we all have our own ideas as to what makes for a good writing style.

To my mind the best I've experienced was in the form of the old Waterlog magazine as many of the contributors were just amateurs; there was little or no product placement, and being published quarterly they were not having to scrabble around to fill the pages.

Many of the contributors the vast angling public had probably never heard of but their writing style was such and to capture an audience and keep it chalenged.

In many ways FM was a little like Waterlog with some excellent contributors and nowhere near as "commercial" as it is these days.

 

[rayner]

As anglers, Mortimer and Whitehouse were as credible Robson Green. I enjoyed listening to their rambles.
I didn't see it an angling program, more a couple of funny chaps who fish a little.
Far better than watching someone catch a few fish.

 

[spoonminnow]

The new media is now cheap and easy on-line; books and magazines are steadily losing their appeal especially for younger anglers. Parents who don't fish or fish anymore won't pass on an interest in the endeavor nor the mystery, personal challenge and satisfaction. Reasons are many, but sad to say the least.

We live in a couch potato world dominated by the daily routine. Angling will never be routine unless one allows it to be - the beauty of it that keeps out the tragedy, frustration, disappointment and the depressing nature of it all - at least for a few hours. Daily pills of hope and pleasant surprises it seems is being replaced by distraction and noise - neither memorable.

 

[theartist]

I didn't see it an angling program, more a couple of funny chaps who fish a little.

Aren't we mostly all just funny chaps who fish a little?

This isn't a dig at anyone in particular but do we as a collective take ourselves and our so called abilities a little to seriously at times?

It's just fishing after all, once the fun stops, stop

 

[nottskev]

Aren't we mostly all just funny chaps who fish a little?

This isn't a dig at anyone in particular but do we as a collective take ourselves and our so called abilities a little to seriously at times?

It's just fishing after all, once the fun stops, stop

Exactly. And they're not only funny.... two blokes in their 60's, both coming to terms with a cardiac mortality wake-up call, talk about all kinds of personal stuff not usually mentioned on tv, sometimes comically, sometimes with surprising openness and frankness, while doing a bit of retirement-style fishing in picturesque places. It's got fishing in it, but it's not a fishing programme, and angling skill is not the issue, except in the sense that the 'reasonably competent angler plus novice' pairing adds to the fishing side, as one struggles and the other gets impatient and so on. Like it or not, it's got a quality of its own.

 

[sam vimes]

It's got fishing in it, but it's not a fishing programme.

Once I came to terms with that I was far happier watching it. Whilst I don't sit there gritting my teeth, I still struggle a little with Bob's seeming inability to even slightly improve his angling skills along the way.

 

[theartist]

Exactly. And they're not only funny.... two blokes in their 60's, both coming to terms with a cardiac mortality wake-up call, talk about all kinds of personal stuff not usually mentioned on tv, sometimes comically, sometimes with surprising openness and frankness, while doing a bit of retirement-style fishing in picturesque places. It's got fishing in it, but it's not a fishing programme, and angling skill is not the issue, except in the sense that the 'reasonably competent angler plus novice' pairing adds to the fishing side, as one struggles and the other gets impatient and so on. Like it or not, it's got a quality of its own.

Yeah and the irony is that we all started off as a Bob at one stage and now many of us have progressed to play the Paul role with a friend or junior many years later. That's endearing, it doesn't matter if they catch much.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Maybe we make a rod for our own back as any budding attempts at making videos usually gets criticised by others?

True but I look upon it as part of the massive learning curve. I'm looking forward to the challenge of underwater filming, something not feasible at the moment in the current conditions though there seem to be a lot of amphibious vehicles around....

 

[theartist]

True but I look upon it as part of the massive learning curve. I'm looking forward to the challenge of underwater filming, something not feasible at the moment in the current conditions though there seem to be a lot of amphibious vehicles around....

Go for it, I think Jack Perks has done many an underwater vid but there's a bit of a void when it comes to filming the 70% of the planet that's underwater on whole, Blue Planet aside. I don't think you'll find anyone on here who doesn't find watching fish underwater totally fascinating. I can just see you in the River Allen filming all the wildlife the passing public don't know is in there :thumbs:

 

[Mark Wintle]

Go for it, I think Jack Perks has done many an underwater vid but there's a bit of a void when it comes to filming the 70% of the planet that's underwater on whole, Blue Planet aside. I don't think you'll find anyone on here who doesn't find watching fish underwater totally fascinating. I can just see you in the River Allen filming all the wildlife the passing public don't know is in there :thumbs:

I find it fascinating. I've seen Hugh Miles' footage of the Allen (he only lives just down the road from me) and others's efforts. Some is good, other stuff not so good but a few surprises like the crafty way chub pick up boilies. Talking to a mate this week who'd filmed big roach for 4 hours on the Test and he said about what could be learned fom the fish. I suspect that I will find more going on underwater than I think.

In more general terms every person's expectations from video (and writing) is different; some want to just relax and watch someone fishing, hopefully with some skill, whilst hearing the sounds of the countryside, with just a bit of commentary (basically Jack Hargreaves' approach), others want lots of technical detail. If I or anyone else can please some of the people some of the time then I count that as success. Music is a funny thing as a soundtrack, many TV programmes have a lot of music now in an attempt to add drama; not sure it always works!

 

[tigger]

I always feel just hearing the natural sounds around you makes your senses perk up and makes you remember things like the smell of the undergrowth and soil etc. It just makes things more reel for me...a hard one for me to even try and explain.
I don't mind the odd bit of music but it has to be the right sort of tunes. I think the tunes used in passion were excellent and not overpowering at all.
I still prefer no music at all though.

Someone posted a video or two on fm a number of years ago and the hap who had made them had done a really good job of them. I remember he was fishing for grayling in one of them, it could have been yorkshire type area?

 

[Mark Wintle]

I always feel just hearing the natural sounds around you makes your senses perk up and makes you remember things like the smell of the undergrowth and soil etc. It just makes things more reel for me...a hard one for me to even try and explain.
I don't mind the odd bit of music but it has to be the right sort of tunes. I think the tunes used in passion were excellent and not overpowering at all.
I still prefer no music at all though.

Someone posted a video or two on fm a number of years ago and the hap who had made them had done a really good job of them. I remember he was fishing for grayling in one of them, it could have been yorkshire type area?

I'll see if I can record smells.... Just kidding.

I watched some footage I did back in September (not on Youtube) and picked out a woodpecker, moorhens, wren, blue tit, robin etc. in the background plus dragonflies and a butterfly; it's a bit grim at the moment.

The TV companies have far more choice of music as they pay huge fees for licenced use of copyright material as well as commissioning their own stuff. 30 years ago one of the contract programmers I worked with was composing short pieces of music of 1 - 5 minutes for use on TV and making nearly as much as his programming work.

 

[tigger]

If you can record smells you’ll be able to afford to go to the moon for a holiday!

 

[theartist]

Talking to a mate this week who'd filmed big roach for 4 hours on the Test and he said about what could be learned fom the fish. I suspect that I will find more going on underwater than I think.

A wise old man once told me you'll learn more in one hour watching fish than reading any book on tactics, he was so right, whilst I moan about low water levels each year round here it does give up some perfect fish watching moments in summer, from above of course when the water is gin clear, it's brilliant

 

[no-one in particular]

Re: The lack of good fishing articles - there is one here on FM by Martin Salter now, he only writes these articles about 3 or 4 times a year, he does a lot of fishing, is on the button, writes interesting and informative articles that are topical and well written.
I do not know how many read them and just don't comment or leave a like or thanks but, I guess not many. It probably takes some time to craft these articles for our benefit from someone who is prepared to take the time and add pictures etc. Yet here you are complaining about lack of good articles and this is covering the sort of fishing a lot of you do and in places you do it.
Is this why no one bothers anymore to post good articles in that section, because they largely go unnoticed and unappreciated.