Angling blogs

flightliner · Jun 4, 2015

I've looked in on numerous angling blogs/bloggers and as one does settled on reading the odd one or maybe two.
It would seem that the ones I,ve been reading are writing less and less these days and thats allowing for the close season on rivers.
Are angling blogs giving way to things like Facebook or other social media, or something where the blogger simply burns out over time, or, that they get fewer and fewer "hits" and become dissalusioned and simply give up?.

binka · Jun 4, 2015

Not sure what the answer is on that one flight, especially as I'm no facebooker or social networker.

I think there are various audiences for bloggers from those that want to learn a few ideas to those that just want a bit of light hearted reading and entertainment, the latter appeals to me and if I think it's just someone trying to make a name for themselves then I don't bother but there are some that come across for genuinely enjoying writing about their fishing without any testosterone fuelled, results driven ego trip.

What was the question again?

nicepix · Jun 6, 2015

I'm blog intolerant. There may be some good ones, but if there is I didn't find any. Just a load of wannabes. To write a good readable blog you have to consider the reader's interests, not just the author's desire to be read or an endless chain of product recommendations for whatever reasons.

The other thing that puts me off is that the blogger has sole editorial rights. If someone says that they are talking a load of bull that bit gets cut and binned. So they end up all syrupy and anal.

sam vimes · Jun 6, 2015

To my mind there are two distinct types of blog. Those by people making money out of angling and those by people who'd quite like to be, even if they aren't actively chasing it. I don't have a great deal of time for the former, but the latter might be of interest if the angler concerned is known to me, or if the waters they fish are local/known to me. There are a couple of blogs I generally keep tabs on.

Beyond that, I'm not entirely sure what purpose blogs really serve. However, I'm quite aware of the irony when that comes from a frequent forum poster. Forums can easily be considered equally pointless.

Provided such blogs make the writer happy, good luck to them. I just hope that they aren't especially bothered about an audience (much like forum posts!). Angling realities for most Joe Average anglers don't necessarily make for thrilling reading.

theartist · Jun 7, 2015

Blogs are a bit like the 'How did you get on thread' on here really. Sometimes you get a post where you know the water and it inspires you to get down there, or maybe a post where it's miles from you and you think you lucky sod! Sometime there are tales of woe that you can empathise with or just ones that are the basic "I caught this today" which are nice. There are also ones thats not really your bag so youmove on to the next one.

The point i'm making is it's the variety that makes for a wider audience and unless bloggers can be very versatile and diverse in their methods and venues then it's always going to be a niche audience for each one.

chav professor · Jun 8, 2015

I do have an active blog - but its thankfully neglected... I can't be ar$ed to read anyone elses... hence my lack of interest in my own....

Plus, how can you have something meaningfully intelligent to write on a routine regular basis. When I'm fishing I generally flit between pondering the un-imponderable... that and wondering who would be the most enthusiastic in the bedroom... Fearn Cotton or Holly Willoughby...

rubio · Jun 8, 2015

chav professor said:
I do have an active blog - but its thankfully neglected... I can't be ar$ed to read anyone elses... hence my lack of interest in my own....

Plus, how can you have something meaningfully intelligent to write on a routine regular basis. When I'm fishing I generally flit between pondering the un-imponderable... that and wondering who would be the most enthusiastic in the bedroom... Fearn Cotton or Holly Willoughby...

Ahh....the inevitable progress of the blogger towards cheap sexual suggestiveness!
Both lovely btw but Fearn is more discreet by far.

no-one in particular · Jun 8, 2015

sam vimes said:
To my mind there are two distinct types of blog. Those by people making money out of angling and those by people who'd quite like to be, even if they aren't actively chasing it. I don't have a great deal of time for the former,

Where would you be without people making money out of angling. Assuming you use modern gear, modern baits, read the occasional angling book, look at the occasional TV programme, maybe even fish a commercial occasionally, follow the angling trust, belong to a club etc etc.; where would you be, where would we all be.

Sorry about this, its not a personal thing but, I hear this so often about people trying to make money out of angling as if its a dirty thing; everyone makes money from something. Yet, none of us would have the diversity or variety of things to chose from if people did not make money out of angling. This is what spurs the development of the sport; tackle, baits, methods, angling clubs, fisheries, almost everything; angling papers and literature included. There would be very little, the sport would have stood still.

sam vimes · Jun 8, 2015

markg said:
Where would you be without people making money out of angling. Assuming you use modern gear, modern baits, read the occasional angling book, look at the occasional TV programme, maybe even fish a commercial occasionally, follow the angling trust, belong to a club etc etc.; where would you be, where would we all be.

Sorry about this, its not a personal thing but, I hear this so often about people trying to make money out of angling as if its a dirty thing; everyone makes money from something. Yet, none of us would have the diversity or variety of things to chose from if people did not make money out of angling. This is what spurs the development of the sport; tackle, baits, methods, angling clubs, fisheries, almost everything; angling papers and literature included. There would be very little, the sport would have stood still.

I've no problem at all with people trying to make money out of angling. Good luck to them, I doubt it's easy. I'm less than keen when people aren't honest and up front about it. I don't like being stealth advertised at and I'm not overly enamoured by people involved with the trade trying to pass themselves off as ordinary Joes. Other than that, it's all gravy. It's certainly nothing to do with anyone making money, provided they are honest about it.

chav professor · Jun 8, 2015

markg said:
sam vimes said:

To my mind there are two distinct types of blog. Those by people making money out of angling and those by people who'd quite like to be, even if they aren't actively chasing it. I don't have a great deal of time for the former,

Where would you be without people making money out of angling. Assuming you use modern gear, modern baits, read the occasional angling book, look at the occasional TV programme, maybe even fish a commercial occasionally, follow the angling trust, belong to a club etc etc.; where would you be, where would we all be.

Sorry about this, its not a personal thing but, I hear this so often about people trying to make money out of angling as if its a dirty thing; everyone makes money from something. Yet, none of us would have the diversity or variety of things to chose from if people did not make money out of angling. This is what spurs the development of the sport; tackle, baits, methods, angling clubs, fisheries, almost everything; angling papers and literature included. There would be very little, the sport would have stood still.

Click to expand...

You would be surprised how few actually make any money what so ever from appearing/writing in the media...

I totally agree with your sentiments though. Sensible/honest feedback or use of a specific brand is the driving force that has brought about progress from gut and horse hair.

Speaking from a purely personal point of view - I wouldn't rave on about something unless I justified its use...

stu_the_blank · Jun 8, 2015

chav professor said:
that and wondering who would be the most enthusiastic in the bedroom... Fearn Cotton or Holly Willoughby.

I've seen your photo Chav, dream on fella!

Stu

laguna · Jun 9, 2015

Stories of the joys and woes of some random angler somewhere never heard of are of no real interest to the majority of us. The kind of thing that interests me (and dare I say it most?) are the tips and tricks, how-to's and original features/articles...

For anyone out there who genuinely has something of interest?
You're more than welcome to submit your piece on TALK.

theartist · Jun 9, 2015

laguna said:
Stories of the joys and woes of some random angler somewhere never heard of are of no real interest to the majority of us. The kind of thing that interests me (and dare I say it most?) are the tips and tricks, how-to's and original features/articles...

I must be in a different world then as i'd rather read something that it is well written with character and enthusiasm, who cares if the author is a nobody. The 'How did you get on' thread' is the most read and most posted on here by a mile and it gives us all a chance to be Isaac Walton if only for a few paragraphs.

Give me that over a tips and tricks article anyday

Titus · Jun 9, 2015

chav professor said:
markg said:

You would be surprised how few actually make any money what so ever from appearing/writing in the media...

Click to expand...

There is a very good reason for that; most of it is pure dross.

nicepix · Jun 9, 2015

Titus said:
chav professor said:

There is a very good reason for that; most of it is pure dross.

Click to expand...

'Chicken and Egg' or 'Monkey and Peanuts' springs to mind. A few years ago I was asked to take some photos for a trout fishing magazine featuring some new types of lures being imported by a friend of mine. There was one of the regular contributors going to write the piece and my friend would be featuring along with his Trout Poppers. The pro' writer's regular photographer was unavailable, hence the request for me to step in.

I did the gig and must have done OK because the writer contacted me later and asked if I would consider working with him as his full time photographer. The going rate for a three page magazine article back then was £300. That was to share between the writer and photographer and had to cover travelling costs and any other expenses. OK, the day tickets and boat hire were usually free, but imagine an average day of travelling 200 - 300 miles round trip, 8 hours fishing, or in my case waiting for the action from another boat, and all this weather dependant. Working on editing, cataloguing and preparing photos is very time consuming. Also, there was no guarantee of the article being published, and if it was, usually it was the following year as magazines work seasonally and are two month's ahead of time in production.

From my days submitting photos and article to photography magazines I knew just how fickle and irrational editors can be. So, I declined the offer. There were other considerations too; I already was working full time and doing shift work, and I also couldn't stomach doing the product placement that was an obligatory part of the articles.

Even today, the going rate for a three page illustrated article in a magazine is around £400. Not many people can write and take photos well enough to be published and in the case of angling, you can't really do both most of the time so that has to be split. If magazines want the quality of content to improve they have to pay a reasonable rate AND form a working relationship with their contributors instead of treating them like s**t.

fishplate42 · Jun 9, 2015

Interesting. I write my little blog as a record of my fishing activities and I show the little things I discover along the way. I don't want to make any money out of it, or make a name for myself - It is just a bit of fun. I try and write it with a bit of light-hearted humour, but no too much.

I have always taken the view that if people want to read it that is fine but it is also a record of my progression from absolute beginner to where I am now - an absolute beginner with nine months experience!

I add to it fairly often but only when I have something to say. Seems to work as it is getting lots more hits a day now...

Ralph

greenie62 · Jun 9, 2015

Bob on Ralph,
Some blogs - like yours - are a refreshing look at angling from a different viewpoint - others are an out & out product placement exercise.
It usually becomes apparent after a few paras which are which and whether to read again - or not!

Some bloggers have come from 'nowhere' - they weren't angling celebrities - but have filled in a gap in their fishing life by jotting down some ideas, experiences, failures, etc. often with a degree of humour - sometimes even in decent English!

I feel they are to be encouraged - and not slagged-off as some have done indiscriminately on this thread.

mg:

Keep up the good work lads!
:thumbs:

binka · Jun 9, 2015

theartist said:
I must be in a different world then as i'd rather read something that it is well written with character and enthusiasm, who cares if the author is a nobody. The 'How did you get on' thread' is the most read and most posted on here by a mile and it gives us all a chance to be Isaac Walton if only for a few paragraphs.

Give me that over a tips and tricks article anyday

I couldn't agree more, there's little more enjoyable to read than a well written angling blog with plenty of pictures, a good helping of humour and a dash or two of sentiment.

bracket · Jun 9, 2015

I used to keep a diary of my fishing outing, now I keep a blog. It is for my eyes only and that is how all blogs should be. If I feel I have done something of mild interest to anyone else I put it on the "How did you get on " thread. Otherwise my highs, lows and indifferent performances are entirely my business. Pete.

Titus · Jun 9, 2015

One of the many definitions from the urban dictionary.

BLOG.

n., a rare opportunity to broadcast ones views to the entire world while remaining virtually certain that nobody is listening.
Writing a blog is somewhat like keeping a handwritten diary. It’s just that with diaries, even the most hopeful author does not daydream or imagine that millions of people are anxiously reading his every word.*

*Except of course in cases of extreme paranoia.

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