New Magazine - Old Problems!

I was passing a newsagents on the way to a doctor's appointment (nothing serious!!) - as I knew I'd probably have a bit of a wait and knowing that the normal mags in the waiting room are all Elle or Cosmo, I decided to go in and find a fishing mag to read while I was waiting. My eye was caught by a new magazine (well, I'd never seen it before) called TCF - Total Coarse Fishing. Great, I thought, and picked it up.

Anyway, a quick flick through the contents revealed that on page 95 "we cast our eye over chairs for the roving angler". I was somewhat surprised to see that the Korum Accessory Chair had been given the top marks, given that it weighs 14lb 4oz. I was even more surprised to see a bare faced lie told about another piece of kit that I happen to own (the Wychwood Roving chair) - the article quoted a weight of 6lb 11oz which is rubbish. I've weighed mine on acurate scales and it weighs much less.

My point is this: None of the write up seems to be concerning itself with roving (i.e. moving from swim to swim!) I'm absolutely convinved that the Korum chair is an excellent bit of kit, but surely its purpose is more inclined to staying in one swim, given the bolt on accessories, adjustable legs etc etc. I'm amazed that an article on "roving" seats makes no mention of how easy + quick it is to pack the chair down and set it up in the next swim. And I'm amazed that they can get the weight of the wychwood seat so wrong, along with failing to mention how easy it is to strap to a rucksack.

So it seems to me that this so called article is just a plug for a friendly advertiser.

Am I being cynical? Has anyone else read this and found it to be confusing (or even misleading...?)

The only magazine reviews I've ever read that appear to be honest have been in CAT. Mind you, the best reviews I ever read are on here.....

Again, I'm not slagging off the Korum chair - I'm sure its a great product. This just reeks of putting a round peg in a square hole for the sake of a few extra pounds in advertising. I couldn't help feeling like the mag (in its first issue) is taking us for mugs!

"Am I being cynical?" No!

"Mind you, the best reviews I ever read are on here....." Correct Jim.

I genuinely can't remember EVER seeing a bad write up from a product from one of the major players in a magazine!

Thats a good point too Eddie.

Why trust a mag telling you something's brilliant when EVEYTHING's brilliant? If any of them had the courage to give something a good slagging, or at least honestly point out that its not suitable for a specific job, then you'd trust the "Editor's Choice" Gold Star award (or whatever)

Products that are no good tend not to end up appearing in magazines. After all, what is the point of wasting space writing about something that isn't any good when you could fill it with a write-up on something that is of genuine use to people.
Personally i would never recommend anything that was rubbish or that i hadn't tested thoroughly, and I'm sure the same goes for most others who write these reviews.
Of course magazines aren't going to upset their advertisers, as a business it wouldn't make sense, but they also don't want to upset their customers, i.e. their readers.

Too right mate, everything is nearly always 7,8,9 out of ten, 4 or 5 stars etc.

I'd be made up if the mags started giving some products a good slagging, or at least a 4/10!

It'll never happen though, I reckon the mags are too scared of losing the income from advertising!

Oi,Greg are you reading this? Knocks on screen

Think that was Gary Numan...

nowt wrong with being a "numanoid"

you lot are making me more and more wary of reviews and these days my favourites are the user reviews on here.

Numan used to fly his Japanese torpedo plane from nearby airfield. I often wondered what the tyre marks were doing on our roof.

The thing is Chris, at least the people who post reviews on here mate have by and large paid their own hard earned, or even stolen, cash for their kit mate!

I have a very long memory, and once remember one of the mags saying they?ll never give a review of a product a bad write up and never less than 5 out of 10.
Says it all that!
Even if its rubbish it?ll get 5 out of 10. So what sort of system is that then?

Here the internet steals a march on the mags because we can give honest opinions of the products, because we bought them, not got a load of feebees dropped off by an advertiser.

I'd just like to say that my chair (which cost me nowt cos I found it in a deserted field one day) was worth every penny, 10/10.

I wondered why the Nash nomad chair was not in the review. I bought mine years back when it was called the lounge lizard. Excellent kit light and wide enough to fit my big ass on.

Maybe Nash didnt offer a chair for review Bryan, or maybe they just didnt place an advert either!

They never included the wychwood chair that Jim mentions, superlight, with adjustable legs,weighs about 6LB, excellent for roving!

Was worth it though if only for the 2 free spools of line on the front!

Jim , i had exactly the same thoughts about the review . The korum chair weighed the most , as much as 50% more as some , and surely one of the main attributes of a 'Roving' chair is its weight as its always being carried . The pointer though , is that the very next 'section' of the mag is their Challenge article , rewarding you for your special catches and sponsored by - yep , you've guessed it - Korum. Coincidence ???
I actually like the rest of the magazine and so will persevere .

Personally i think the term "roving chair" a silly one......theres roving and theres moving...........the only roving chair i need is one of those garden kneel mats to plonk me but on!

I use a light chair when i think i may move swims at less frequent intervals though!

Paul i also thought that, if your roving you tend not to really sit down for more then a few minutes. Most of the time your crouching anyway.

What is needed is a tackle reviewer with the brutal opinion and aserbic wit of Jeremy Clarkson! Someone who says it as he sees it.Car manufacturers cower in fear of Clarkson's opinion but over the years he shown he cannot be bought off. He is even credited in some quarters in forcing the car makers to improve the design and performance of their products.
As we know Richard Lee of AT looks in on FM so perhaps he might wish to add his five penneth worth on some of the comments about tackle reviews on this thread. Do the Mag Editors feel under pressure from manufacturers and those who advertise? Surely there is such a thing as crap pole, rod or seatbox?

Christian....exactly!.........roving is one rod, watching, and trying your luck, usually,no always! in a stealthy manner.........a chair just plays no part!

Congrats on your Barbel kidda!