Fishingmagic writers

preston96 · Apr 10, 2010

Time to make constructive comment!! :wh

I have enjoyed some great articles and the following debates on FM over the years and as one who has been very forthcoming with what i think is wrong with the new FM, i think it's time i made some more constructive comments.

Some of the past articles on FM have for me made a lot more interesting reading than the monthlies we have to pay for.

So who would you like to see writing again?........i know situations change and some old contributors may not be able to write at the moment,but some may think that they have nothing more to add, i think "new" FM needs more of the old style back.

So who would you like to see writing again?

I like Barney's (Gary Knowles)writings..........also Wol and the Dog always had me reading with interest....

Your turn.

Neil Maidment · Apr 10, 2010

Kevin seems to think differently at the moment but I would love to see some more of his work.

Windy says he can't write, but surely a man (albeit a Welshman) with such a wit can translate some of that whimsical prose into fishing scenarios??

And... I'm not on a wind up mission.... but Steve Spiller should be writing the Roach Chronicles!

Stealph Viper · Apr 10, 2010

That is an interesting thought, and not something i have given great thought to until i read this.

For myself i tend not to have a favourite author / writer, what i tend to do is read it depending on whether or not the subject takes my interest.

So for me it is not the Writer but the subject matter that first catches my attention. Then it is how it is written that keeps my attention.

It must be extremely difficult for any writer to write something about fishing that hasn't already been covered a 100 times over, it is how they cover that subject that makes it interesting.

I have no favourite writers as such, i just have favourite subjects.

Does that make sense ??

geoffmaynard · Apr 10, 2010

I agree it would be nice to get more of the old FM writers contributing articles again but totally disagree with the idea that there is anything wrong with the website we have at present. We have had a swathe of new (to FM) writing talent pop up on here in the last 9 months including some of the highest quality writers it's possible to have. If you think differently then that's your opinion and your entitled to it, but I'll tell you something Paul. You're wrong! Wrong wrong wrong

Maybe if you start seeing this site as half full instead as half empty, and perhaps do some comparisons with other sites, you'll see that Fishing Magic is currently the best UK angling site on the web. And I really mean that folks.

preston96 · Apr 10, 2010

geoffmaynard said:
I agree it would be nice to get more of the old FM writers contributing articles again but totally disagree with the idea that there is anything wrong with the website we have at present. We have had a swathe of new (to FM) writing talent pop up on here in the last 9 months including some of the highest quality writers it's possible to have. If you think differently then that's your opinion and your entitled to it, but I'll tell you something Paul. You're wrong! Wrong wrong wrong Maybe if you start seeing this site as half full instead as half empty, and perhaps do some comparisons with other sites, you'll see that Fishing Magic is currently the best UK angling site on the web. And I really mean that folks.

You know what Geoff, i think you have your head up your bum.

geoffmaynard · Apr 10, 2010

No I don't, and I can prove it. Go to the FM front page and scroll down to the bottom. The articles displayed there are from about the last 6 or 7 weeks. Who else has that many quality articles in the same time-frame. None, that's who. They are top quality stuff, just as good as anything in a paper magazine and mostly a lot better. They speak for themselves. If you don't think so then you are the odd one out. Seriously. How can you deny it? The evidence is there in front of your eyes.

Stay behind after class and give me 200 lines 'I shall not keep on dissing FM'

---------- Post added at 21:25 ---------- Previous post was at 21:18 ----------

PS: and not to forget that these don't include the News and Events items which can be found in the horizontal drop-down menu.

preston96 · Apr 10, 2010

I didn't start this thread to "diss" as you put it..........i honestly thought i could contribute something constructive, you know what i really aint joking or using smillies when i say you have your head
up your butt.

I simply can't be arsed anymore............and i thought today had been so constructive.

peter crabtree · Apr 10, 2010

Paul , why not write a new article yourself?

the indifferent crucian · Apr 10, 2010

I can't comment on this site in regard to what it might once have been, I've only been here 5 minutes. I came here because the site on which I have posted daily for some years is going through a crisis and is becoming rather unpleasant and elitist. It used to be so very different....no names - no pack-drill.

What I can say, without a moment of doubt, is that this a splended site...it is so much more than just a forum. It is the most thorough and professional effort I have seen in the world of fishing to date.

Having now seen, several times, what can happen to a site when tempers get frayed and people are unhappy with a new direction taken I would just say this.....

It's better than not having the site at all ....

geoffmaynard · Apr 10, 2010

I think maybe you are expecting too much Paul.

At least half of the the 30 odd articles on the front pages are from people I consider friends of mine who have donated their time and work for free. I put a lot of work into readying them for publishing and am proud of the quantity and standards displayed on that front page. That's my work, it's what I do. Naturally I'm going to be peeved when someone who seems to be continuously moaning and whining about things not being 'as good as the old days' dismisses them out of hand. There's a full book-load of top quality words there in just a month, and has been, every every month since I started, and you tell me it's not good enough and that I have my 'head up my bum'. Why??

Where is FM going wrong now? Hmm? I'm sorry our choice of current writers and articles are not up to your high standards; articles from published professional writers like John Olliff-Cooper, Eric Edwards, Cliff Hatton, Dave Steuart et al - some of whom are not just writers but real angling legends...

Pass the toilet paper someone.

---------- Post added at 22:51 ---------- Previous post was at 22:48 ----------

Thank you IC. I needed a confidence boost right now and that really helped.

Jeff Woodhouse · Apr 10, 2010

Paul Williams 11 said:
I simply can't be arsed anymore............and i thought today had been so constructive.

Do be, and write something please.

Geoff is largely right in that we do have some new writers on board and I have Scott doing some more recipes sometime along with wife Samantha promising to write more and her photographs will (cough, cough) be a little more revealing, so I'm told.

Andy (the dog) is far too busy at the moment (and he's going to have a bit more work by the end of the week) and he has a new family to take care of. Wol's work was Ghost written and he's stopped believing in ghosts.

I must get in touch with Mark Hodson and see if he's doing anything right now, but I know he was very busy at one stage. Then there's Fred Bonney, come on Fred, and Bob Roberts used to give us the odd one.

People change and move on, ten years is a long time, I'm just realising that and trying to get my head around in ten years time, what will I be doing, or will I be 6 feet under? No, I'm being scattered on the banks of the Thames anyway and after the next flood I'll be looking up a cod's backside in the north sea.

We have just been through a rotten winter, the longest and coldest one we've had for 15 years and it's put people off. You only have to look at the list for Clattercote this year, many anglers haven't come out of hibernation yet. We have got plenty coming through, but always welcome more especially those provoking deep thoughts.

PS I wish Deanos would finish off some of those brilliant ones he's started.

Steve Spiller · Apr 10, 2010

Geoff, please nip this in the bud now and stop.

Brummie spoke from the heart with this thread, he wasn't dissin no one. He was genuinely trying to help FM get back to some sort of normality.

For what it's worth Geoff, Brummie is an awesome angler and he has written some brilliant articles for FM in the past, I hope they haven't been lost?

Paul, what I would like to see are more articles from you. Roach, carp, pike, zander, perch etc, the Wye, Sabrina and the W.Avon, not forgetting those tench and bream! Oh and barbel too.....:wh

My roach chronicles are on hold Neil, probably Autumn before they begin again. I'm trying to pin Brummie down for a date on his local, I fancy a 30lb river carp myself!

Geoff, I hope you are coming to Grahams Big Bash, you will meet us and see that we are not troube makers, hopefully.....

Hopefully it might help you to understand how we feel about FM.

Personally for me I love to read about anglers that have had a red letter day. The excitement, joy and satisfaction of having a fantastic days fishing. I also love to read about the anglers who become at one with nature, the sense of utter joy as the surroundings accept us and our minds are opened to the wider picture of where we are. I'm cr*p at writing, that's why I go fishing instead

Cakey · Apr 11, 2010

mr Spiller talk for yourself ,Im a troublemaker with a capital T :wh

twenty articles on front page three I need a boat for
one I need to go to spain
a few are from the past ...not interested I live for the future
then there are two that are not written for FM thay are all over the internet and they are not even FM members
one is against otters ....Im not going there again
Jimmy the worm gets any worms I want

so probably two articles of interest to an everyday angler like me
just my opinion but I think a lot of articles are now aimed (probably not intentionally) at "top class" anglers and not at everyday anglers like my self

Peter Jacobs · Apr 11, 2010

I would love to see more articles from:

1) Frothey - his approach to fishing in general, but carp in particular, is unique and yet very down to earth.

2) More from Kevin Perkins - again a 'unique' view of angling and one that proves that you don't have to always take yourself all that seriously.

3) Maybe more 'seasonal' articles; we are about to start the river Trout 'season' so how about a few more of those?

4) More from Gary Cullum; a retro and yet very modern approach to angling, not at all 'elitist' as some have said, but a man who so obviously lives for his fishing.

5) Neil Maidment is another angler who writes well and always has something topical to say - an all round angler who should interest everyone on FM

6) Eric Edwards series on boat fishing I thought was great, although not a boat angler myself I found it both educational and informative.

7) More of Scott's bankside recipes too, if for nothing else than to stop the sales of Pot noodles. I've tried a couple of his recipes and they were terrific; tasty, simple to prepare and quick to cook.

Well, that is my list, it might not be for everyone's taste, but then we are all different, right?

preston96 · Apr 11, 2010

geoffmaynard said:
I think maybe you are expecting too much Paul.

At least half of the the 30 odd articles on the front pages are from people I consider friends of mine who have donated their time and work for free. I put a lot of work into readying them for publishing and am proud of the quantity and standards displayed on that front page. That's my work, it's what I do. Naturally I'm going to be peeved when someone who seems to be continuously moaning and whining about things not being 'as good as the old days' dismisses them out of hand. There's a full book-load of top quality words there in just a month, and has been, every every month since I started, and you tell me it's not good enough and that I have my 'head up my bum'. Why??

Where is FM going wrong now? Hmm? I'm sorry our choice of current writers and articles are not up to your high standards; articles from published professional writers like John Olliff-Cooper, Eric Edwards, Cliff Hatton, Dave Steuart et al - some of whom are not just writers but real angling legends...

Pass the toilet paper someone.

---------- Post added at 22:51 ---------- Previous post was at 22:48 ----------

Thank you IC. I needed a confidence boost right now and that really helped.

Right Geoff, i'll tell you why i think you have your head up you backside on this.

I Started this post off by saying it's time i said something constructive, how you translated my comments is a joke.

FM was made what it is a long time before you took over......but for what it's worth i do think you are doing as good a job as most would make, i feel your posts on the forum leave a lot to be desired in creating a site with harmony, but thas only my opinion..........anyone can disagree if they like.

You rightly say that some exellent articles have appeared of late by some damn good anglers.......i detest the word ledgend in angling, show me more than 3 or 4 long threads that have started because of them though.

My post was genuinly aimed at possibly getting others to write........not as "go" at you or FM as it is now........as Woody points out some can't write at the moment for a variety of reasons but you never know, they may put an hour or two aside if someone posted how they enjoyed their past work.

If thats "dissin" then i'm guilty as charged...............but hey! take a look at the viewing figures of the "dissing" threads on the forum!!:wh

No.........my starting this thread was a genuine bridge building exercise.

Dont forget to wipe behind ya ears.

geoffmaynard · Apr 11, 2010

Now we are getting more constructive.

I think we need more carp articles - considering the percentage of anglers who fish for them we have far too few articles about carping. Though some would say that's a good thing. You can't please everyone and it's daft to attempt it. As Cakey points out, whatever articles go up, there are going to be very few that appeal to everyone no matter how well written they are. We don't even have one sea-fishing article! Tut tut. There's a huge range of subjects we can cover and I'm awaiting all and any content you guys want to send me - the site will only ever be as good as the material that's submitted. FM has great content right now however and the fact that some of it has been previously published don't detract from that - 99% of FM readers never saw it the first time around. I still want more suggestions for Golden Olden articles from the past to re-run.

What we REALLY are short on at FM is catch reports.

Mark Wintle · Apr 11, 2010

I must be the elephant in the room. 180+ articles, 250-300 thousand words and not a mention? Humour, technical, ecological, political, fiction, how to do it and 4 pseudonyms?:wh

Back to the proof reading...

Graham Whatmore · Apr 11, 2010

Come on Paul, instead of moaning about who doesn't write and who should write why don't you write something yourself. You have done and do enough varied fishing over your 60 odd years of fishing to write tomes on the subject, set an example, show others that it ain't so hard after all, and I'm sure the editors will take the Dudlay out of it before its published.

It would time better spent than having slanging matches on the forum at least. Maybe a series of "Days in my Wye-side caravan" or "How to blank on prolific waters" - loadsa things.

I'm still thinking of setting the real Brummies on to you.

Fred Bonney · Apr 11, 2010

Sounds to me Mark your hide has been over exposed

I was thinking of updating my Down in the Valley articles, but couldn't find the old ones, so wasn't certain how to start up again!
I've not been since whenever it was, but was starting to think about atrip down there, now my barbel obsession has wained a little.

Steve Spiller · Apr 11, 2010

Are the techies working on an 'Articles' Tab yet?
It would make it so much easier to access articles.

Wintles World was quite a good series

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