The Fly Fishing Magazine Industry is Dying...

[ScottP]

Had subscriptions to Fly Fisherman, American Angler, and Fly Tyer for years; let my last one, to Fly Tyer, run out in 2009. Got tired of all the long-armed grip-and-grin shots and formulaic stories; with all the info available on the interweb, especially in the realm of tying where lots of talented folks share their work, the magazines became superfluous. I do treasure my stash of print, especially Nick Lyons' articles in Fly Fisherman and all the old patterns from the 80s-90s that the fish haven't seen in a while (and still work quite well), but have no need or desire to page thru the stuff on the news stands any more. Just my $.02

Regards,
Scott

[saltydancindave]

Recently received a letter offering a 2 years subscription for $12.00 to a fly fishing magazine haven't subscribed to for years. With hundreds of past issues of fly fishing magazines on the bookshelves, most of which went out of publication somewhere in the middle of paid subscription started when the magazine first started in the last century & then sending or offering a substitute; will probably just go back to the piles of research materials instead of adding to it or fly fish on the internet for reading content.

[DaleW]

One of my old standbys for years and years was Field & Stream. Would read it cover to cover, even cut some articles out and stick 'em in a folder for future reference. But that publication has suffered all the ills of what has already been posted here.

Some time back, after I had quit renewing the subscription, on some talk show - and I can't remember which one it was, there was some guy being interviewed, who was once a sports magazine article writer. And he said he never hunted or was into fishing, but he would research a subject and write articles .... and the magazines would buy the articles! Talk about a crushing blow to your outdoor know-how ego! As my older brother always use to caution me saying, "we live in a world of B.S." (And he didn't mean brown sugar).

[lee s]

Right on Larry.....sagefisher!
The tug IS the drug......the rest is just fluff.
....lee s.

[pillcaster]

The only one I look forward to is Flyfishing & Tying Journal by Amato Pub. I enjoy the articles by Dave Hughes and Al Ritt, and there is usually a couple other interesting articles and writers (Dave Whitlock, Harry Murray, some guy named Walter Weise ). Recently there was an in depth article on different types of thread and their characteristics, complete with a chart comparing each brand as to whether it was twisted, waxed, would flatten on the hook, was splitable, etc. I found that pretty cool. I learned of the mag, like so many other things, on this site (they are a sponsor here). It's not as cheap as some, but it hangs around and gets re-read, while the others seemed to end up in the recycling bin after a quick 5 minute read.

[mylobass]

I think part of the fault in this situation has to fall upon the retail outlets themselves. I live in the once conservative south. Yes it is drastically changing as we drown in transplanted northerners. They have changed the entire atmosphere of my community. The local Books a Million used to have a fishing section that filled a 10 foot section of the mag wall. That section has been pushed into a 4 foot corner by periodicals covering 'how to select pretend football teams', the joys of cannibis, tattoo's and the celebration of a minority group now becoming the majority by right. What little is left to the fishing periodocals is purposely altered by Books a Million itself and/or its store management. We are 20 minutes from Boca Grande, the one time Tarpon capitol. Instead of magazines on saltwater or bass fishing, they insist on stocking magazines on Pike and Pacific Salmon fishing and fly fishing magazines apparently written by skateboarders more interested in turning the fly into graffitti. When I ask them why and could they please get me a particular periodical, the answer from management is a simple, no. Corporate won't even return an email they are so uninterested in my demographic.

[scuba steve]

I believe I saw a post on Face Book By Bob White ( he illustrates John Gierach's column) that the magazine was done at the end of this year. I t is a shame that the FF print industry started to down size the actual magazines about 12 or 13 years ago. I have older copies of FR&R and flyfisherman magazines from 80's, 90's and up to about 2010 after about 2006 the magazine was about 15-18 pages less and there seemed to be far more destination pieces than anything else. the other issue I saw was rehashing the same old subjects just by different authors. it's too bad there used to be some good info in them. You also knew who the story authors were , now you read blogs on line and I often wonder if these guys actually fish or are they just keyboard jockies - kind of had my suspicion confrimed last year when we had a "famous" local blogger come into the shop for some tying stuff we just happened to be doing a tying class int he back we invited him to sit in and give some ideas at we were tying up Euro nymphs his supposed specialty- long story short don't think the guy had actually ever tied many flies as he struggled with just basic stuff - not saying they all are like this but I take most of what I have read with the proverbial grain of salt
steve

[Byron haugh]

I agree with most of what is said in the posts above...

Funny though. My son who lives in Santiago, Chile is starved for fly fishing magazines as none are available around him.
He picked up about 6-8 different current issues of various magazines at the shops while in West Yellowstone to take home.

Even one on Northwest Fly Fishing!

[Jim Sentell]

We need a remake of "A River Runs Through It" to reignite the interest!!!!!

[Byron haugh]

After that movie, the rivers got more crowded than ever