Got my hopes up. Received my March Fly Fisherman magazine, which I subscribed to at the Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo last April in Minneapolis after the sales rep assured me that they were really focusing on warmwater fly fishing. He even gave me a copy of a past issue with a couple of stories and promised this was only a start. Even promised a money back guarantee. Since then zilch. Not a single article. So I opened this issue that had a woman holding a redfish from the estuary of Louisiana on the cover. At least it was close to warmwater, and the water felt warm I’m sure. On page 5 an ad: 50 Best Bass Anglers! Wow. We’ve got 'er going. Then nothing all the way to page 21, where Bass Pro Shop had an artist’s rendition of what appears to be a largemouth bass. I made it all the way to the back cover with not a single warmwater story. There was a picture of a frog and two insects. There were also 15 pictures of someone holding a trout or salmon, a picture of a bonefish, a striper from the salt and six more redfish photos. Once again my magazine goes straight to recyling. It’s my fault. I had stopped all my fly fishing slicks for this very reason, that my targeted species are totally ignored. And I fell for another trout fraud, this one from a slick salesman from Fly Fisherman. I’ll be writing for a refund. And I’ll also make a promise. I’m done. With this and the rest. So, thanks, FAOL, for providing a forum. So much for hope. JGW
I hear you, JG. I never even consider Fly Fisherman when I want to find something about warm water. About the only fly angling mag anymore I pick up is American Angler because it does have the a warm water story section once in a while or at least it used to. Seems like you never know if they are going to put a warm water story in or not though. Better than nothing I guess. :rolleyes:
I stopped subscribing to every fly fishing mag in print, several years ago. 95% of the time, I was paying for basically “A year’s worth of equipment ads,done in glossy photos”.
Now, I merely hit the magazine racks and leaf through the various mags available.
If one happens to have something I may be interested in, I’ll buy it. If not, no money spent.
The “drool over articles”, have long since stopped being enticing and I have enough glossy ad gear to last quite a while. So, to pay the price the average mag is running nowadays, sure isn’t worth the bucks spent!
This is EXACTLY what I do. Haven’t subscribed to a fishing magazine in many years. I MAY buy 2 magazines a year!
Mike
There’s a dearth of warmwater articles and or focus in every flyfishing magazine I peruse at the local B&N. So much focus on trout & other salmonids, which is understanable to a point given the history of the sport but a little balance would be nice.
On the otherhand if warmwater flyfishing became too popular I suppose I’d be irritated by that too…
I bought an issue of Hatches (fall 2007). There were several interesting articles.
There was a very good article on bluegill and flypatterns for them. There also was an article on smallies and the crayfish muddler. And an article on pike. At least these three as I remember. Looks like primarily a tier magazine but it has lots of good fishing info as well. At least this issue did.
I forgot about Hatches but then again it’s not a typical, off the rack, fly fishing mag. The guys over at Flytyingforum.com started it and it is primarily a tying magazine, the site covers all aspects of tying: cold water, warm water, saltwater…you name it.
I had a slug of glossy back issues of a bunch of ‘fly fishing’ rags. Mostly drivel and fancy ads for stuff I don’t want to start wanting… I quit buyin them too, and just leaf through 'e time to time at the store. I took the ones I had recently and went through 'em cuttin out the fly patterns I liked, and scrapbooked 'em into a little three ring with my wife’s scrapbook stuff. Now I got a homegrown fly pattern book goin and I flung all the rest o them mags. I think they’re like fishin lures, and they catch lots of fishermen, and fishermen’s $$$ I’m tired of the teasers too… I’m done with 'em…
…ModocDan
This reminds me of the old joke where an American girl, an English girl, and a French girl were each asked what they would do if they were stranded on a desert island with 1,000 soldiers. When it came to the French girl, she replied, “I understand the question, but I don’t understand the problem.”
We should be encouraging the national FF media to concentrate EXCLUSIVELY on trout. Deep down, who among us really wants more competition at our local fishing holes? 
This is a most interesting post, as are the replies. Thanks everybody.
Occasionally I get a twitch prodding me to at least once try expanding into a different media by submitting a fishing story for publication in one of the glossy fishing magazines. Maybe someday I will, but in the meantime I agree with all you guys that when it comes to warmwater fly fishing it seems the glossies simply aren’t interested in publishing stories about how our particular niche operates and how much fun we have fishing.
If someone were to ask me (and nobody has) I would tell them that Fly Anglers On Line is one of the world’s top cult publications. “Cult” in the sense that its publishers, Deannna and Jim, actively solicit and welcome fishing stories submitted by any and all fly rodding enthusiasts regardless of which species they fish for.
The FAOL site’s appeal to both writers and readers is therefore democratic, very broadbased in nature. Sadly, from what I’ve seen on the news stands you don’t find a consistency of this same broadbased coverage in the glossies. But we’ve sure got it here!
Joe
I have the complete set of the old Warm Water Fly Fishing Magazine…EVERY issue! I still refer to those, although I have them safe in a binder in excellent condition…what a GREAT magazine it was. IMHO, there isn’t ONE actually worth a subscription today…just pick & chose the occasional issue that interests you.
Mike
I have most of those, too, Tuber. Down in my tying cave. I picked up a lot of cool tying ideas and flies from those as well as the confidence to attempt fishing for different species. I knew about fly fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass and bluegills, but man, people were out there with specialized flies going for all kinds of warmwater species. It was thoroughly enlightening. And fun. One thing I wish to get across, and I’ve been called on this by my fishing buddy Wrangler, who calls me a “warmwater snob,” I am not against trout, trout fishing nor trout fishers. For years I lived in Denver and fished the mountain streams, hiking into the hills to fish beaver ponds and high mountain lakes. I’ve also, thanks to the exchange student program, been able to fish for trout in Norway and New Zealand. That said, I still think the slicks could and should offer a greater variety of stories and introduce their readers to the vast opportunities of warmwater fly fishing. JGW
I have talked to a few of the editors of the magazines. One of their points is that in the fly fishing catalogues there are not many warmwater patterns listed for sale. Pages and pages of trout and saltwater, but a few poppers for warmwater.
They also state that warmwater fishermen do not spend as much as the cold and salt water fisherman do.
Thankd goodness for the warmwater section on FAOL and a few other warmwater sites.
Rick
I remember when the Warm Water Forum was in it’s infancy and now it’s grown up!
Doug 
If us warmwater guys don’t spend as much as the trout and salt guys do, I’d hate to see how much they’re spending. I’d hate it even more if my wife knew what I was spending.
Kevin
Well, Fy-Chucker, it really boils down to “basic snob economics”…(sorry, to insult you travel types, but I’m one myself, so THERE!).
But, when you simply consider that many fly fishers will gladly lay down the bigger bucks, to go fish for; “Monster 'Bows, that snap 10wts. like kindling in Patagonia”, “10,000 pound Peacock Bass, in Timbuktu” and of course, “Bone Crushing Bones”, in Belize"… yet very few, (read…NONE), will buy more than a tank of gasoline to go catch Bluegill, Brim and Crappie, who do you think the gloss rags are going to cater to?
When was the last time, you read any article, about someone “flying off to fish Large Mouth Bass, from Idaho to Alabama”!?!
“Warm Waters” can be found in about every single state in this country in one form or another so no real travel guide, expensive lodgings, or expensive gear is required.
I can’t see, anyone, laying down over a thou’ for a reel to fight Yellow Perch and Brim, but they WILL for a mere glimmer of hope, of tying into a bone!?!
Again, simple “EGO-nomics”, where the mags are concerned.
And, my friend, don’t worry about “your wife finding out, what you’ve spent”…
MINE HAS and my “Honey Do List” is now in a 3-ring binder, written in BLOOD, (my own) and is issued to me, monthly, in “chapters”.
My last time in Mazatlan I was entised by the possibility of taking a fly rod to Lake El Salto, where my Spanish speaking guide was completely perplexed. “Bass break,” he warned, shaking his index finger at me. My wife bested me with that spinner bait thing he had her use by catching an 8 1/2 lb’er, but I pulled one in that wasn’t too shy of that which was by far my biggest largemouth on a fly rod. Hell, any rod. Although their are promises (is it called hope?) of double-digit bass in the lake, and the decal boys were bragging about releasing them that weighed 15 to 18 lbs. Since it’s totally catch and release I could say the same. I was happy with what I caught and this is one our fishing memories we’ll always remember. So, yes, warmwater guys travel for warmwater experiences. JGW
There is one mag still out there where you can always find at least two articles regarding warmwater flyfishing.
Midwest Fly Fishing. Produced here in Minnesota, it’s a regional magazine that comes out bi-monthly. Not a glossy rag comes out in color newsprint.
It’s the only one that I subscribe to.
Kevin
I agree with you guys that most fly fishing magazines cover mostly cold water flys and fishing techniques. I figure that is so because most warm water fishermen aren’t using fly fishing gear. The cold water pastures are far greener for the fly fishing mags so that’s where they go.
But I still subscribe to a fly fishing mag that mostly covers trout and cold water fishes because a lot of the the tying, casting and technique info is directly applicable to fishing for warm water species that I fish for. I’ve only been fly fishing a few years and tying a few months and could use all the instruction I can get.
Havent heard anyone mention Flyfishing & Tying Journal. Ive had them all and this is the only one Ill ever subscribe to. Not many warmwater but every issue seem to have something–making pencil poppers inland strippers Dave Whitlock articles in every issue dealing from everything from bass,bluegills and carp Articles on tying rooms trips and gear. Great tying in every issue. BILL