How Often Do You Buy Fishing Magazines?

[Allan Crawford]

Never heard about it before but will look out for it now !
I prefer Andrew to Sandy as T&S editor, FF&FT seems to be struggling!
But reading mags less and on here more so mags days could well be numbered as seems to be the consciousness of the post.

[Wildfisher]

FF+FT was looking better for a while but has taken a big step backwards by resurrecting some dull  writers that had appeared to have fizzled out and gone.   Scotland is going to struggle for a credible angling writer once Bruce retires. He has his imitators, but none has his knowledge of his home land, his experience and writing intelligence.  Stan is good, but he is not in FF+FT very often. They would do well to  sign him up ASAP. Like him or not he has credibility.

[rubberwellie]

If quality of content and value for money is of concern to a publisher then I think a quarterly publication is the way to go.  This way you can release editions that have lots of good articles and that are relevant to a specific part of the season - ie spring, summer, autumn and winter. 

It's just not possible to fit enough good, relevant articles into a monthly publication these days - the quality of information available through forums like these blows magazines out of the water, and it's free, interactive and available at the touch of a button. 

Most people don't buy magazines these days because they learn from them, it's because they love the subject and maybe have a bit of loyalty to the publication, but magazines definitely have to evolve and move with the times if they want to survive.

[fergie]

I cacelled my subscription to Pike and Predator magazine this year. So now dont read any fishing magazines at all. I cant say i miss them.

[rubberwellie]

This is worth a look if you haven't seen it before. 

http://eat-sleep-fish.co.uk/

Free monthly e-zine, by fishermen for fishermen. 

It's now on issue 12.  To read previous issues go to the home page and click Issue Archive on the right hand side of the page.

There's some interesting articles and good photography.

[Wildfisher]

Yes, the idea is not new, but it's mostly pretty good. I have spoken with Pete who runs it.  He's a nice guy. The standard was high up to  the November issue.  It must be a real problem for editors of magazines when  online content is being given away for free. It must hurt them.  Still nothing beats a book imo though.

[Highlander]

They would do well to  sign him up ASAP. Like him or not he has credibility.

You having a laugh Fred, tell me you are.
:roll:

Like a few other I subscribed for years. T& S. I still buy the odd one if I see anything that takes my interest.
FF & FT has been good but I too detect a fall in standards.
Someone mentioned American mags. If I can get my hand on some, there are a few good ones out there. Just for something different, a different perspective. The good ones are American Angler, Fly Fisherman, Fly Rod & Reel & Fly Tyer Magazine. Hard to source UK I find. I rely on the odd one being sent to me by my sister.
As a youth I bought Field & Stream but do not see it now, I loved that publication.
Older mags that have since gone were far better. Creel & Rod & Line are good examples. Some of the modern writers pale into insigniicance to some of the older generaton & reading between the lines of some I would swear they are ghosted, Stan included.

Tight Lines

[rubberwellie]

Yes, the idea is not new, but it's mostly pretty good. I have spoken with Pete who runs it.  He's a nice guy. The standard was high up to  the November issue.  It must be a real problem for editors of magazines when  online content is being given away for free. It must hurt them.  Still nothing beats a book imo though.

Aye I'm partial to a good book myself.  Hoping santa brings me a classic or two for the collection

I think it must be difficult to keep the standard of any monthly publication high, especially when the seasons over, and especially with what's now available online for free.  T&S has to evolve or die, to my eyes chasing silver has shown the way forward - less editions, higher quality and better value for money.  Regardless of what's online, fishermen still like to read articles about fishing but for four or five quid a pop it's got to be good.  It's easier to attain quality with a quarterly publication, the trouble is T&S and other monthly mags are still using the business model that they had before we had the internet.  They'll end up going the way of Kodak if they don't adapt.

Sean

[Wildfisher]

They'll end up going the way of Kodak if they don't adapt.

If they keep recycling the same tired old stuff they certainly will do. I hate these articles that just highlight places  to go fish, I really do.  Other than Sandison's they are dry and  soulless. The reason Bruce makes a good job of it is he KNOWS about Scotland, not just about fishing. Fishing should always be the canvas onto which a broad picture is painted. Other writers fail at this miserably. I would not even read these articles now.

[Wildfisher]

Like a few other I subscribed for years. T& S. I still buy the odd one if I see anything that takes my interest.
FF & FT has been good but I too detect a fall in standards.

Alan, to be fair most articles only really impress if the reader believes the writer is knowledgeable. Someone writing  about something only confirms he writes. The impressionable  novice will enthusiastically try to glean what he can from magazines, but will quite quickly realise  that he knows just as much as the writer and there is a limit to what  can be learned from just reading about fishing  anyway. They also soon recognize the cyclical and repetitive  nature of these publications.  That's where we are and why we don't buy often. In the past magazines  may have had to rely on a constant stream of new novice angling recruits to take up the slack. Fewer are taking up angling now and those who do  will soon learn that a much wider range of up to date and free expertise is available on forums like this.