What're your thoughts on getting digital fly fishing magazines?

[John Rhoades]

I just got a post card announcing that my subscription to Fly Rod & Reel magazine is now available in digital format. I believe that other fly fishing magazines, such as American Angler and Fly Tyer, either have or soon will be available online.

I haven't signed up yet to get my Fly Rod & Reel magazines via the internet versus the traditional printed copy, but I'm seriously thinking of doing it. One reason for doing so is that I have trouble processing change of address for the summer months that we spend in Montana versus being in Pennsylvania in the winter, and my magazines do not always get sent to me, or arrive late.

What are your thoughts on this?

John

[ScottP]

It's kinda neat to go through the old stacks of magazines and read through them, seeing how certain fisheries have changed over the years and finding some old patterns to try again, but at the same time storing all that paper gets to be a bit of a pain. I can see the logic in having it in digital - a little thumb drive vs boxes and boxes of magazines.

[Eric-WD]

I have a couple of firearm magazines that I read online. I receive them for free or I would take them in the paper version. I read alot while waiting for someone while in my car or other places where I dont have a computer. I dont have an electronic reader or that might take the place of it. decide where you want to read or tie etc. that computer may be a very short leash.
You can browse here and see what it is like.
http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/...GUNS/GUNS0212/

Eric

[John Rhoades]

Scott -

I once kept all my fly fishing magazines beginning in 1969 when I first subscribed to Fly Fisherman. I began unloading them several years ago, and now don't keep more that a few months of back issues. It seems there is more information on the internet now than I could ever hope to possibly keep up with.

[Fatman]

I'll stick with my printed Fly Tyer!!! The digital age can't replace a good copy, and what happens when your battery goes dead?? LOL I'll stick to printed.

[philip43]

I just can't seem to get the hang of reading magazine stories or books off of a laptop screen (or CRT). I like something I can fold and hold in my hands. Plus I can't bring m'self to read a laptop when I'm on the throne!!!
Adios Philip43

[sagefisher]

Actually, the digital formats are the future, well really, the present. So, we may as well get the hang of using them.

There are some great advantages to using the digital format.

You can access that digital magazine any place you have a computer, and depending upon how long they keep their back issues, you can access many years back for data. As an example, look at all the great information that FAOL has at your disposal. All you need is a computer. You don't have access to all those back issues if you take the printed format, unless you carry box after box of all those back issues with you when you travel.

Another great feature is that you can copy most articles, say about tying a fly, and grab the photos, and store that data in a file on your computer. Your computer can go with you but not all those magazines.

Many clubs and organizations are going to the electronic format for newsletters and magazines.

Hop on board and enjoy the ride.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[billhouk]

I had a bad experience with the Fly Tyer application. I bought it from iTunes and received a confirmation. Fly Tyer would not honor the subscription. They said it was Apple's fault, Apple said it was Fly Tyer.

My solution was to get my money back from Apple and I will not renew my paper subscription to Fly Tyer.

[Dave E]

My knee jerk reaction is to say that I would miss the hard copy. But the truth is, the stacks of paper issues would often just sit there collecting dust while the articles I search out on line get read immediately.

One exception, the California Fly Fisher - It's regional and relative. It'll be the last paper copy subscription I'll give up. That and our fly fishing guests enjoy browsing through new and back issues of CFF too.

Dave

[ScottP]

Scott -

I once kept all my fly fishing magazines beginning in 1969 when I first subscribed to Fly Fisherman. I began unloading them several years ago, and now don't keep more that a few months of back issues. It seems there is more information on the internet now than I could ever hope to possibly keep up with.

John,

I agree, there is a tremendous amount of information available on-line and some day I'm going to end up donating or pitching all the mags I currently have. However, this past summer I was looking through some of them and ran across an article on the Nelson's Caddis, a pattern I hadn't thought of or tied up in a while; tried them out again and was pleased to see that they still worked as well as they always had. It was like getting together on stream with an old friend I hadn't fished with for years. One other thing I love about the older magazines is seeing ads for some of the state-of-the-art equipment from the late 70s-early 80s, including Seal-Dri latex waders. I had a pair of them and found them to be perfectly useless in just about every way imaginable- I froze in cold water, sweat like a farm animal when it got warm (and boy did they retain the smell!), and had to use all my strength to lift my leg over anything higher than a 2x4.

Regards,
Scott