The lack of good fishing articles.

[dicky123]

I'm going back some years, but I remember like it was yesterday. John Wilson writing his monthly articles for Coarse Fishing in his little shop in Norwich, in long-hand between serving customers and varnishing his latest fishing rods for sale.

With anglers now having sponsorship we rarely see good informative articles on any fishing subjects. When we do it's 200 words of tackle and 200 words of product, nothing about the actual fishing we can learn from. I know we have You-Tube but some of us like the written word. Goggle almost anything and Angling Times comes up with a short article that's selling product. If not them its Guru or some other tackle makers selling stuff, thank goodness for so many amateur blogs that fill a gap, but I do miss long thought out articles about fishing, don't you?

 

[john step]

I agree. In fact In fact I had a couple of years of Fallons Angler subscription which started off as a breath of fresh air but I stopped subscribing, feeling it had become bogged down and seemed to be hunting around to fill space on its pages.

 

[wetthrough]

The Cadence blogs aren't bad if you prefer the written word Blog - Cadence Fishing UK Products obviously get mentioned but the ones I've read are mostly about the fishing.

 

[Mark Wintle]

I have stuck with Angling Times for 50 years, have still got a run (not unbroken but the vast majotiry) of them from 1972 through to about 1987 and plenty of later examples (would love to browse through some from 1968 to 71) but the All New version from a couple of weeks ago has finally broken my resolve with its tiny 200 words if you're lucky micro-bite articles. Where's the meat?

Pleased to say my last two books are still selling a few and plenty of meat in them (90000 and 106,000 words respectively), but I'm having more fun attempting to put together video at present despite conditions, sorting out the gear I need (I think, or is it an excuse to spend money?) and a very steep learning curve, (latest one here: YouTube )

 

[tigger]

I've got to say that I have no idea of how to make a video, but, my personal thoughts on your video are....i'd prefer it without the irritating music, i'd much prefer to hear the natural sounds around you than that noise. Maybe if you got a small microphone so you could speak whilst actually fishing?
Also it would be good if you used another, or the same camera on a body cam harness on your chest or on your head so as to give different prospectives of your fishing.

My mrs has just ordered me a hero black 7 to have a play with, only for personal usage as I wouldn't want to publicise my spots, although there are a few spots that I fish in the summer months were I don't think anyone would have the foggiest of where I was at.
Out of curiosity what camera are you using and how are you mounting it?

 

[108831]

The cadence videos are well done,though telling you what rod and reel is being used,he also tells you what lines,hooks,floats,feeders,shot etc too,none of which are related to Cadence,he explains rigs,feeding quite well. In answer to the OP,i do miss good magazine articles,not so much that you always learnt something,just that they were so interesting....

 

[Mark Wintle]

I've got to say that I have not idea of how to make a video, but, my personal thoughts on your video are....i'd prefer it without the irritating music, i'd much prefer to hear the natural sounds around you than that noise. Maybe if you got a small microphone so you could speak whilst actually fishing?
Also it would be good if you used another, or the same camera on a body cam harness on youar chest or on your head so as to give different prospectives of your fishing.

My mrs has just ordered me a hero back 7 to have a play with, only for personal usage as I wouldn't want to publicise my spots, although there are a few spots that I fish in the summer months were I don't think anyone would have the foggiest of where I was at.
Out of curiosity what camera are you using and how are you mounting it?

That area of the Stour is right next to the very busy Wimborne Bypass, and, similar to the spot I've been to at Sturminster Newton, the traffic noise is horrific (it's also under a metre of water this morning!), so although the camera is recording the background sounds it's totally drowned out by the traffic which is worsened by the expansion joints on the bridge so that each vehicle makes a double thump as it goes over them. Since then I've now got a Lavalier (clip on throat mic.) that will plug into either the camera (6 metres of lead) or a voice recorder which I've already got; I've held off buying a much more expensive wireless thoat mic. for now. Sound recording on DSLRS isn't brilliant as you tend to get hiss as the amp is not great. I tried to use an amp but sent it back as I can remove hiss with software. That area of river has other noise issues with people on the riverbank both banks, dogs barking, aircraft, and the local rowers and their coaches. So what I did in the circumstances was turn the sound off and overlay with me talking and some music and knowing what music to use isn't easy. So I agree and come the warmer months I shall try to find some quiet places out in the deepest Dorset countryside to get the natural sounds, if I can. If you watch the Stour dace video I did but just listen rather than get distracted by what you're watching there are all sorts of background noises, including dogs, people, traffic, aircraft (very near the airport), sirens, plus one or two birds like a wren making an alarm call (when you're watching a float you filter out these sounds).

Camera-wise that footage was shot with a Canon 600D DSLR with a 17-70 lens mounted on a tripod; since then I've got a 10-18 lens and aready had a 50-200 telephoto lens so I'm covered from ultra-wide (10) to long (200). This can do HD video and the quality can be very good as the lenses and light balance are well catered for but the disadvantage is that focussing is manual. The latest version of this camera, the 850D which has just come out can do 4K video and auto focus in video.

I've also recently got a GoPro lookalike ThiEYE which is much cheaper than the GoPro at not much over £40. I got it for underwater filming in the summer when the water is crystal clear. The one I got had a faulty battery cover so they sent me a returned one as well that isn't supposed to work but I have got footage with the so-called bad one. I think the 'good' one has better quality footage with less 'noise' but I may be able to use two cameras underwater at the same time! GoPro/ThiEYE lenses are fish-eye so you gget a distorted view at close range. I put a short ThiEYE test on YouTube which shows my rod with a bend in the lower sections that isn't there, camera mounted on a bankstick with a Gardner adapter and a ball joint but like the GoPro it comes with straps for body/head mounting. They also keep everything in focus. ThiEYE isn't good for sound especially in its waterproof case so I turn the sound off but the GoPros are better. I've recently tried filming with more than one camera from different angles and when I start to do filming with a cameraman then at least one camera can be actively shifting. I've also tried using my Sony compact for video - that also does HD and is good for zooming in on a float on stillwater but very hard to do on a river if you're holding the rod. Neil Maidment focussed on the float while I trotted at Sturminster and we did an inset test which is also on YouTube.

 

[tigger]

Ok Mark, thanks for the reply.
I have watched your videos and I did notice all the things you mention. Yes the traffic noise was annoying, but for me personally, it wasn't as bad as that music mg:, jmo of course. One thing that I did like was how you didn't faff about holding the fish up to the camera for yonks whilst talking and then say "lets put him straight back" as it seems the majority of youtubers do! They often do it with a net full of fish!

I only got the go pro as it's what was recommended by most people I know, some of them who are out bike packing in all kinds of weathers.
I'm in no hurry to try it out but am sort of looking forward to giving it a go.
Regarding the price of it, you can get the actual camera for less than you migh think, it's the micro card, extra batteries etc what knocks up the price. You can get a case full of bits for them, harnesess, extending selfie sticks, tripods, etc for less than twenty quid delivered on amazon. I got one and the items seem to be of decent quality.

 

[Mark Wintle]

I got lucky on batteries for ThiEYE - it came with two batteries and if you respond in 15 days you get another battery and charger free so I got that plus the so-called duff one also came with another two batteries so I've got 5 now. Different story on the DSLR in that my first battery from about 6 years ago now getting poor at holding a charge so two authenticated Canon batteries came in at £95. You need good cards for video with high write speeds and I've been getting 64Gb SD Micro ones for reasonable money that will work in the DSLR with the SD adapter. The latest high end DSLRs do 8K video and need super write speed cards as they can burn up 128Gb in 5 minutes of video and those cards come in at much higher prices like £300 for 128Gb.

The ThiEYE had loads of bits and the spare one had half its bits too so now have two waterproof cases etc. ThiEYE bits are interchangeable with GoPro apart from the waterproof housing.

 

[dicky123]

Mark, that's exactly my meaning, how can you say anything with 200 words if your placing a product as well? We both agree.
Clearly there are some good videos about, and Cadence hit the mark about right. I have to be entertained as well as informed from something I'm reading/watching. I cannot watch enough videos on trotting, even if they are not 100% professional perfect. I don't need perfect, just enough quality information so I watch it. I watch Dannys videos and he does a good job, I just feel he it trying too hard by doing one every week, and the content suffers a little for it. If he was doing one every month his content would be richer for it. But as I say he is doing an excellent job and I dial in to watch him, mostly?

 

[rayner]

After chatting with nottskev, a chat in which he mentioned something about youtube (sorry kev) I can't remember how it came about, his thought was I had a look, he thought it may help to view the tube whilst I wasn't fishing. I think.
I have always steered away from fishing videos, I did get my daughter to sort my computer to access the dreaded tube, I don't like watching vids of folk catching fish as anyone can do that even me. Soz kev, I did get my daughter to make my computer accept youtube, I still don't like fishing videos.
Articles are far more informative in my opinion, information is at a premium on fish catching clips. Writers always have to advertise. Nowhere near as blatant as angling papers and magazines. If I can find articles through google I prefer to, rather than getting annoyed at youtube.
Youtube is probably sound for some, it appears to me I'm in danger of losing my sanity watching folk catch with the horrid music that was mentioned by tigger.

 

[spoonminnow]

There were a few celebrity anglers like Jerry Mckinnis that made TV videos as well as those that contributed to In-Fisherman Magazine. Today it's all about sponsoring lures and other tackle via lies and misrepresentation. BassMaster magazine hasn't had articles worth reading in decades.

It's like watching political ads and speeches - few real facts, hype and hollow promises.

 

[theartist]

It's sad that no one seems to be taking the time and effort to write or produce good articles on fishing, I get there has to be a bit of product placement in some but where's the passion, the humour, where's the adventure!

Most magazine articles seem to go along the line of this is a great rod/bait or I'm a great angler look at me and I hate to say this, most online videos are far far worse.

 

[sam vimes]

Whether we like it or not, angling is an ageing demographic which this forum highlights in spades. Most of us don't really want what's on offer for free, or at little cost. The truth is that our wants come at a cost and few are prepared to put their hands in their pockets.

I suspect that Catch Cult magazine might be as close as many might get to their ideal. However, many baulk at paying £7 for a magazine. IIRC there was a similar magazine a few years ago that everyone loved, but not enough people actually bought it.

There are some pretty decent youtube type fishing videos out there. However, the vast bulk, especially the more commercial ones, seem targeted at a much younger audience than they might typically get from FM members. To my mind, the manufacturers have probably got it wrong, they may be better off aiming for the grey pound. That's where the real money in angling is these days. If I want to see an angler much less than forty these days, I'd head for a big carp commie or a big carp orientated tackle shop. Most places I frequent, I'd say the average angler is getting their state pension, or is very close to it.

 

[Mark Wintle]

It's sad that no one seems to be taking the time and effort to write or produce good articles on fishing, I get there has to be a bit of product placement in some but where's the passion, the humour, where's the adventure!

Most magazine articles seem to go along the line of this is a great rod/bait or I'm a great angler look at me and I hate to say this, most online videos are far far worse.

You can write the articles but who will publish them nowadays? That's the problem. A really great and different article on catching specimen fish with great pictures might make it into Catch Cult and you might break into Fallon's Angler with a suitable article but the weeklies are all but impossible now for a proper article of 1500 words; I'm starting to think John Bailey is just about all that's left on a weekly basis....When CAT and Coarse Fisherman were still around things were better but both folded due to poor sales, as have others since.

A lot of the articles revolve around use this bait/tackle/method and you'll catch the fish shown with no mention of the fact that unless you actually fish in the right place/right time of year/conditions/time of day/without scaring them the bait/tackle/method is worthless.

The fishing programmes I've enjoyed most have been Whitehouse and Mortimer but they had a 20-strong team, big budget/all the gear and knew how to use it, and still I found the fish scaring antics off-putting. I learnt one thing; find somewhere remote and sound production is easier though they did well to mask out the intrusions at Throop.

 

[108831]

Or you you could watch Dean Macey having a fit,shame really because the fishing itself is good,the behaviour poor,goes to show anything produced by the korda stable is detrimental to angling,Mr.Fairbrass's spodding methodology being the first...

CAT was a brilliant mag,one I miss dearly,angling today is all about google and books,the latter takes it away from what few youngsters are in our sport due to price and lack of libraries....

 

[theartist]

The fishing programmes I've enjoyed most have been Whitehouse and Mortimer but they had a 20-strong team, big budget/all the gear and knew how to use it, and still I found the fish scaring antics off-putting. I learnt one thing; find somewhere remote and sound production is easier though they did well to mask out the intrusions at Throop.

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

 

[tigger]

I forced myself to watch one of the Whitehouse and Mortimer series, one where they tried to catch grayling and imo it ranked up there with the worst angling programmes i've ever been daft enough to watch!
My opinion was after putting aside my dislike of the clowns Mortimer and Whitehouse.

 

[steve2]

I forced myself to watch one of the Whitehouse and Mortimer series, one where they tried to catch grayling and imo it ranked up there with the worst angling programmes i've ever been daft enough to watch!
My opinion was after putting aside my dislike of the clowns Mortimer and Whitehouse.

This was one of the best fishing programmes on TV in my opinion mainly because fishing was only a small part of it.

 

[Richard Bartlett]

I was really keen on, & subscribed to, Catch Cult but eventually their bloody appalling proofreading got to me to such an extent I just couldn't stomach it any longer. Shame really, because the production quality was high but terminally marred by truly dreadful grammar, spelling et al.