Why Buy Fishing Mags

steph mckenzie · Feb 5, 2013

I haven't bought a Fishing Mag for quite some years now as i got fed up with page after page of Adverts or re reading similar posts either every other week or Monthly.

I must confess, i don't buy a Newspaper either (No it's not that i can't read) however, i must confess, i am happy enough to glance through a Newspaper or a Fishing Magazine if i see one sitting around.

Do you Buy a Fishing Mag or do you prefer to just read it on the Internet?

sam vimes · Feb 5, 2013

I very, very rarely buy a fishing magazine of any type. Usually, it'll only happen if I'm flying somewhere. I don't recall buying a newspaper in the last ten years or so. Prior to that I'd only buy the odd Sunday paper for the football reports. There's no need whatsoever to do so any more.

Ray Roberts · Feb 5, 2013

I usually buy them then five minutes later wish that I hadn't.

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Feb 5, 2013

I do buy the odd fishing mag

in the last 4 months I've bought 2 copies of IYCF

To be honest there isn't much that I hadn't read before but there was one bit on the slidin float and another on the D rig that I found interesting

steph mckenzie · Feb 5, 2013

When i moved to England and started Coarse Fishing, i found some Fishing Magazines to be really helpful, they showed me Illustrations of how to Tie Knots, what bait to use and how to attach them to the hook etc etc

The main reason for me joining Fishing Magic was because i wanted to learn more, i wanted to check with other more experienced Anglers that what i was doing already was correct, or not.

I find now, that i can ask more specific questions using the Internet than i can looking for something to maybe appear in a Magazine.

guest61 · Feb 5, 2013

I do buy fishing magazines, because at times I am tool. Once you're through the many exciting ways to catch Carp in commercials or how to catch Barbel with a barrow load of pellets and fishmeal ground bait; what tackle you can't possibly do without; the latest miracle bait; recognition that Chub are another fish that can be caught on your Barbel gear; the fact that some 'wannabe' has got a DVD out; pictures of modest sized fish on display; how the favorite rod of your average 'specimen chump' is made by the same company that they're sponsored by; don't ignore 'Silvers' or 'Slabs' or other species considered to be subordinate to Carp because when the Carp aren't feeding they could be your plan B; The latest venue to feature Carp; How to cast to the Horison in persuit of Carp; Don't ignore the margin in persuit of Carp; Some clown calling Tench 'tincas' or Barbel 'Whiskas'; the latest ramblings from our regular columnists and of course the completely pointless tackle review section, they pass a few minutes whilst you're waiting for the embrace of death.

chav professor · Feb 5, 2013

There has definitely been a decline in the quality of fishing mags. I do buy Coarse angling today and enjoy the odd article. What's really missing are detailed technical pieces....

Mags seem to cater to the beginner/intermediate.... are they afraid if they publish a more specialist article (without too many ads) it might alienate their readership?

FACT: Its the ads that make the magazine viable...... But were all big boys and girls - we only buy what we want to.....

I will just add - Graham Marsdens 'Coarse fisherman' was a brilliant publication... especially when peter stone was contributing - genius!

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Feb 5, 2013

bottle rocket said:
I do buy fishing magazines, because at times I am tool. Once you're through the many exciting ways to catch Carp in commercials or how to catch Barbel with a barrow load of pellets and fishmeal ground bait; what tackle you can't possibly do without; the latest miracle bait; recognition that Chub are another fish that can be caught on your Barbel gear; the fact that some 'wannabe' has got a DVD out; pictures of modest sized fish on display; how the favorite rod of your average 'specimen chump' is made by the same company that they're sponsored by; don't ignore 'Silvers' or 'Slabs' or other species considered to be subordinate to Carp because when the Carp aren't feeding they could be your plan B; The latest venue to feature Carp; How to cast to the Horison in persuit of Carp; Don't ignore the margin in persuit of Carp; Some clown calling Tench 'tincas' or Barbel 'Whiskas'; the latest ramblings from our regular columnists and of course the completely pointless tackle review section, they pass a few minutes whilst you're waiting for the embrace of death.

Don't forget the valuable advice - when getting to a carp lake do a least one lap looking for carp showing

Jeff Woodhouse · Feb 5, 2013

chav professor said:
I will just add - Graham Marsdens 'Coarse fisherman' was a brilliant publication... especially when peter stone was contributing - genius!

It wasn't Graham's, but he was a contributor and a good one at that, especially Marsden's Musings. I do miss Peter's articles and Peter himself, must be over 12 years ago now that he died. That would have put him in his eighties.

surreymac · Feb 5, 2013

I used to be addicted to buying em,now at nearly a fiver a pop for some of them I'd rather save the money & occasionally buy a nice book from the medlar press,little egret press etc

benny samways · Feb 5, 2013

CAT used to be immense. 6 page chubbing articles, Tony Miles befoe he began repeating himself, even people like Mathew Bodily used to contribute to what was a great mag.

I cant believe how much the quality has declined. Its not just experience either as I can still pick up old copies and find them great. The new version seems to be a mixture of CAT and the defunct Coarse fisherman (which was good pre 2010).

Although I am not an out an out carper a chance buy last spring saw me with a copy of CarpWorld. This is an excellent magazine and if there is a month with Nash or Hearn writing an article then it really is good. The Rod Hutchinson interviews were so insightful to a just over 30 year old like me who never really knew the history of carping back when it 'started'.

barbelboi · Feb 5, 2013

No Fishing mags/papers - the last mag I subscribed to was Creel, although I bough the odd few afterwards from time to time until four or five years ago. I do remember eagerly awaiting AT each week many years ago - can't remember the last time I bought it, probably the best part of 20 years ago.
Jerry

goonch · Feb 5, 2013

surreymac said:
I used to be addicted to buying em,now at nearly a fiver a pop for some of them I'd rather save the money & occasionally buy a nice book from the medlar press,little egret press etc

Likewise. With the price of a magazine these days books are actually pretty good value for money. The technical books tend to go into a lot more detail than a magazine does, for obvious reasons, and the non-technical stuff would never get published in any magazine other than Waterlog anyway so it's books that I spend my money on.

nicepix · Feb 5, 2013

barbelboi said:
No Fishing mags/papers - the last mag I subscribed to was Creel, although I bough the odd few afterwards from time to time until four or five years ago. I do remember eagerly awaiting AT each week many years ago - can't remember the last time I bought it, probably the best part of 20 years ago.
Jerry

That brings back memories. Creel was one of two or three similarly high quality monthlies I used to get off a neighbour when I was a lad. The main difference in the articles then and now is that then the author wanted to educate you in methods and techniques. Today they either are pushing a brand or trying to create their own legends.

I stopped subscribing to Anglers Mail shortly after a certain John Bailey took over from the likes of Stone, Taylor, Gammon, Wheat & Keal. Never been one for fiction.

Titus · Feb 5, 2013

I get the Angling Times on subscription, it's £1 per week or less than half a cup of Costa coffee.
Some weeks it's **** but I usually find something I want to read and when I've read it I shred it and use it for bedding for the guinea pigs.

I gave up on the monthlys years ago for much the same reasons that have already been stated, ie articles repeated from year to year (sometimes using the same stock pictures), less editorial and more adds, and rising prices.

Peter Jacobs · Feb 5, 2013

I rarely buy them these days, after all the calibre of the contributors is mediocre to say the least.

The Online medium has more than replaced these dinosaurs . . . . . .

. . . and even then we still suffer from some of the same mediocre contributors, so its heads you lose and tails you lose too . . . . . the only saving grace is that the experience hasn't cost anything, other than one's connection charges . . . . .

terry m · Feb 5, 2013

A great question.

Most fishing mags are average quality at very best, many are utter dross churning out the same old sludge.

Carp World, as noted by a previous poster is very good and the articles are long and detailed anough to get into.

But, I don't need to be told how to tie a hair rig or pack a PVA bag any more times thanks!

Even the adverts are the same!

binka · Feb 5, 2013

I'd not brought one for years and then had the last two Dangler's Mails, initially out of boredom and also because i've had five blanks in a row on the pike and I wanted to remind myself what one looked like

Was quite impressed with 'em to be fair, no real domination of a particular species or methods and a decent news round up but still don't think I will be a regular.

flightliner · Feb 5, 2013

I dont buy the monthlies but I,m surprised at myself in admitting that I do miss the (now defunct) Sheffield monthly Angling Star, for no other reason than it was a window on what many of the anglers in my region were about and what they were catching, since its demise there is a gap for sure.

itsfishingnotcatching · Feb 6, 2013

May buy on an occasional basis if I like the look of a particular article but generally end up spending roughly the same, (£1-£5) buying second hand angling books.

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