Improve your coarse fishing advertising, errr... i mean magazine

I have just bought the latest issue of this magazine and i am astounded at the level of advertising within the articles. The whole magazine is a vehicle to make anglers buy products from a handful of big retailers.
There is a 24 page section called 'Tackle Shop' which has the sub-line "Honest opnions (sic) and proper tests on tackle". I have read through the whole section and there is not one negative statement about any of the products on test. Either every rod, reel and piece of equipment on test is perfect in every way, or this is just a cynical advertising trick aimed to fool people into thinking that the magazine has carried out a unbiased evaluation of tackle based on impartial testing, when in reality it is just more advertising.
I am sick of having advertising disguised as journalism rammed down my throat by publishers, and the angling media seems to be one of the worse culprits. They insult my intelligence with this rubbish and if they cannot produce a decent magazine for £3.35 without packing it with advertising then they should stop producing it.
I would pay £5 plus a month for a fishing magazine which was filled with decently written articles about the whole fishing experience and had a section of genuine 'which' style tests, and where the advertising is kept out of the articles and left on the dedicated Ad pages where it belongs.

Adverts and the same articles appearring again and again is the reason I stooped buying all but 1 angling mag- that being The Angling Star - a Nirthern publicasion - real anglers, writting good articles and not too many adverts

Stick with FishingMagic. Great articles and honest reviews. Then there is some banter aswell.

Been reading said magazine, I like to buy one now & again. Unfortunatly my wife spied me reading adverts and hid my Debit Card....

Swindy

I've actually just cancelled a subscription to IYCF - however, I would have to say that for some people, the advertising is the very reason they buy the mag. Most anglers have always got their eye on a new piece of kit as a future purchase, and mags like this can provide valuable information on the pricing they should pay. Whilst I fully believe in supporting your local tackle shop, I also want to be aware of who's charging what for the kit I want to buy, and would have no qualms with bringing that up in my local shop if I wanted to buuy through them.

I do admit, the "reviews" are basically advertorials... but then again, IYCF is one of the few places that the major tackle companies (not the retailers) will place big glossy expensive ads to launch major new products, so they're hardly going to bite the hand that feeds are they?

I'm playing devil's advocate a bit here, but I think mags like this do have a place, as much for the tackle trade as anything. Personally, I want to see all those companies continue doing business, I want to see innovative new products coming to market (even if ultimately they're of no interest to me) and I want to stay informed on new gear as it gets launched. As Paul and Wobbly have both mentioned, there are other places where you can read great content about fishing - let me reccomend another, Coarse Angling Today (Predator Publications) is a very good read containing honest reviews and articles of a stunningly high quality.

The magazines need the advertisers to help pay for the production of the magazines or else the price would soar and not everybody would be willing to pay £5 a copy. I know the reason why you don't find bad reviews in the carp mags is because the tackle companys threaten to pull their adverts if the review are too negative and as the mags need the adverts all we get are good reviews. I'd imagine it's the same for IYCF

Lord Paul, I know what you're saying about repeative articles, however I honestly feel they're needed in a mag like IYCF. When I used to buy IYCF years ago it was a beginners mags, maybe it's changed?, they'd hammer home the basics time after time. As somebody that taught themselves how to fish I know how important that is, it improved my course fishing thats for sure. Once you're mastered the basics then the magazine does get a hint boring but then it's time to buy another magazine, maybe one that offers inspirational articles rather than 'how to' articles.

Have a look here, it's free and very good! http://www.freespoolcarpmag.com/

Why would a professional magazine waste valuable space on a bad review? If a product is rubbish then they'll simply ignore it. Only a certain type of individual wants to read negativity and most of 'em are too negative to buy a magazine in the first place...

I would certainly prefer to read honest opinions about the best tackle out there, not the worst. Space devoted to a bad review is space wasted.

As for unbiased reviews, if you've never met Dave Woodmansey then you simply don't know what you're talking about. Of all the angling journalists I've ever met I can assure you he's top of the 'can't be bought' list.

Magazines (not just IYCF) are sold to a particular niche that you'll find is very different to the Internet 'angler'. The key ingredients are where to, how to and what with. Market research reveals that reviews of new tackle items come very high on the list of things that the majority of readers want to see.

I suppose positivity is an alien concept to a lot I-savvy anglers...

Why do you think we don't have more threads along the likes of, I bought 'X' and I liked it? I think 'Y' is good because? Why does a thread about Matt Hayes degenerate into a slagging match? Seriously, think about it...

Take away the Internet and no-one really gives a toss about cane rods and archaic reels. However it's your niche, and I've no issue with that, but do we have to have endless threads about why AT is ****, about 'real' anglers, etc?

Many who disagree with you will not post a contrasting viewpoint becasue they fear being pilloried for thinking differently to what appears to be the norm when it quite patently is not. Several magazines have gone skint this past year and they were all aimed at the 'serious' angler.

Sadly the 'serious' angler doesn't put his money where his mouth is...

How about a bit of positive posting for a change?

Not too much to ask, surely?

Bob Roberts
Bob Roberts - Fishing information for the complete angler

Bob Roberts said:

Why would a professional magazine waste valuable space on a bad review? If a product is rubbish then they'll simply ignore it. Only a certain type of individual wants to read negativity and most of 'em are too negative to buy a magazine in the first place...

I would certainly prefer to read honest opinions about the best tackle out there, not the worst. Space devoted to a bad review is space wasted.

As for unbiased reviews, if you've never met Dave Woodmansey then you simply don't know what you're talking about. Of all the angling journalists I've ever met I can assure you he's top of the 'can't be bought' list.

Magazines (not just IYCF) are sold to a particular niche that you'll find is very different to the Internet 'angler'. The key ingredients are where to, how to and what with. Market research reveals that reviews of new tackle items come very high on the list of things that the majority of readers want to see.

I suppose positivity is an alien concept to a lot I-savvy anglers...

Why do you think we don't have more threads along the likes of, I bought 'X' and I liked it? I think 'Y' is good because? Why does a thread about Matt Hayes degenerate into a slagging match? Seriously, think about it...

Take away the Internet and no-one really gives a toss about cane rods and archaic reels. However it's your niche, and I've no issue with that, but do we have to have endless threads about why AT is ****, about 'real' anglers, etc?

Many who disagree with you will not post a contrasting viewpoint becasue they fear being pilloried for thinking differently to what appears to be the norm when it quite patently is not. Several magazines have gone skint this past year and they were all aimed at the 'serious' angler.

Sadly the 'serious' angler doesn't put his money where his mouth is...

How about a bit of positive posting for a change?

Not too much to ask, surely?

Bob Roberts
Bob Roberts - Fishing information for the complete angler

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sorry Bob but I can't agree with the sentiment that a bad review is a wasted review

Supposr I want to buy a 11ft float rod - I look at the reviews and see 4 that good reviews BUT in the shop there is a 11 float rod that hasn't been reviewed - Do I risk it and buy it or do I only by one that has had a review - if a rod got a poor review or even a "not the best on the market but for the money it's reasonable" then I'd know and can make up my own mind

So why is Trout & Salmon prepared to say that a piece of kit is poor? It is happy to use star ratings and give a rod one or two out of ten. Their reviewers actually try stuff out instead of trotting out platitudes.

This is something that has niggled at me for years and I've had a moan on here before. What's the difference between coarse and game anglers? Is it that the latter won't put up with being treated like half wits? Surely the manufacturers realise that a 'review' in IYCF (and in the sadly missed CF) is worth zip?

I still remember with fondness a series that CF ran where a well known angler laid out all his tackle in a double page photo and discussed what he used. It ran for a few months until one individual just laid out the entire catalogue of his sponsor. Luckily they didn't make Y-Fronts or he would have been stood in them as well. Absolutely ridiculous.

Happily there is always the Angling Star...

I remeber the article you mention Matthew

CF -didn't their rviews have a "Best of" say "best reel for under £50" and rate them?

Don't think they did.

T&S tend to band their stuff by price and then they give them a star rating and a 'Best of..' but I can't recall CF doing so. They used to just list all the 'Mid Price Barbel Rods' or whatever then think of a different platitude for each. Usually 'Great for the angler on a tight budget' or whatever.

I'm sure, once upon a time, IYCF used to recommend a 'best buy' because I remember choosing my Adcock Stanton on that recommendation. That would be 15 years ago so they must have changed since then.

I wonder if our magazine collecting colleagues can map the demise into sycophancy...

Matthew Nightingale (ACA) said:

I wonder if our magazine collecting colleagues can map the demise into sycophancy...

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I don't collect angling magazines, but as a cynical bar-steward I'd wager that the date(s) you are looking for coincide closely with the increasing advertising fees charged by said magazines.

I knew and fished with him, and what a gent he was too!:w

Reviews by the mags dont always mean the gear is what you want, or that it is that good.

I am not interested in the mags or papers anymore, thats down to the ad's, might buy the odd one now and then, but i understand they need the advertising to keep the papers going.

What i dont understand with the reveiws is why everything gets 8 or 9 with the odd 10 out of 10, you never get a 5 or 6 do you.

I get subscription (a gift from my sister for chrimbo - considering her other gifts this is head and shoulders above) and I quite like the new look. I enjoyed the article with Tommy Pickering and Bobs article too - after a while there are only so many "this is how to catch" you can read and take in. Some of them are far too instructional (times many I read "do this and you will not catch" only for said "pro" to change his mind weeks later). So more anecdotal stuff please.

TCF are a tad more honest with their reviews and give pros and cons of all the reels on test etc and let you choose whats best for you, well used to be the case I havent picked one up in a year or so. But I LOVE the tackle section. Its the first thing I flick to. "What piece of tackle can I blow my hard earned cash on now" runs through my mind as I read through it. I take the reviews with a pince of salt, as is eveident in last months glowing report on a maver float rod costing £30 or £40 I think. Dave Woodmansly might be honest as the day is long Bob but he needs to dial down the cliches. "As good as rods twice the price" cried Dave on this review. OK which ones ? Name me one or two rods that cost £80 that this rod is better than ? I'll be a bit more receptive if he does more than just change the name of the rod as he guides another "hard fighting carp" to the net.

But after you've been fishing a few years, are you that bothered about magazine reviews really ? Yes give weights of a pole at 11m or how many ball bearings a reel, or even better put the sodding weights of seatboxes and chairs in the review that would be helpful (personal bug bear). I'd listen to people on here, other forums and have a look at the product itself or merely buy "on spec" anyway.

But the magazines let me know new stuff is out there and I thank them for it. (apart from good old anglers mail. I was reading a review of a korum chair after it had been out for year)

Bob Roberts said:

Why does a thread about Matt Hayes degenerate into a slagging match?

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I guess it's how it's read. When I read the thread I nearly wet myself laughing. I read it as one member having a bit of a laugh and another taking it a bit too serious. But that's just the way I read it.
That of course also applies to the angling press, if it's read with a negative mind then that's what you'll read.

I've given up on all the angling mags.I used to almost count the days until the next issue but I dont bother with any now unless there is an article I particularly want as a reference eg a fly pattern I want to tie or a particular method/water.

I was given a copy of the AT last week. I struggled to find anything of interest after the big pike pic. Its a small thing but the money I save on not buying mags or a daily paper will buy me a club book or a few trout trips. That's a no brainer with a daughter at Uni bleeding me white.I love her to bits but Dear God I wish she'd get herself a freakin JOB !

Or "Improve and Profitize Your Brain Surgery" as I perhaps first inadvisedly, then correctly and routinely, called the paper soon after getting myself my first Internut connection back in the early Noughties. Experienced just what an old then, at a stroke, former pal Ed. of one of its sister Spotty titles had been capable of doing, you see...

Paul Boote said:

Or "Improve and Profitize Your Brain Surgery" as I perhaps first inadvisedly, then correctly and routinely, called the paper soon after getting myself my first Internut connection back in the early Noughties. Experienced just what an old then, at a stroke, former pal Ed. of one of its sister Spotty titles had been capable of doing, you see...

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I enjoy your prose Paul, but you lost me on that one!