Sea Angler or Total Sea Fishing?

[DoubleShotDamo]

Following on from an earlier thread about exaggerated fish weights in Sea Angler, is it me or has that mag gone downhill? I used to be a very loyal follower with a loft full of the things, but now I counted well over half the pages were ads! All well and good having a fatter magazine, but fat with ads is a joke.

 

I had a look at TSF and that has not got so many ads, but not so many features neither.

 

Looking back through some old issues of SA and it was a good read, the sort of read that made you want to go out and sort through your fishing tackle and get out on the beach for a few hours. Now it is more like a tackle shop directory!

 

Sea Angling News is better, and it's free. (with a few ads! )

[Steve Coppolo]

I don't think that there's a lot to choose between them. I don't buy either of them on a regular basis. I just buy one when there's an article about something I'm interested in. You're right about the sea angler how it used to be. Of course there were a lot more fish about years ago, but also the calibre of the writers was far better too in my honest opinion.

 

The ads are an important part of the magazines finances unfortunately. With RSA taking off and more anglers to catch, the tackle companies are prepared to pay for more advertising than they used to and the magazines are happy for the extra income it generates.

[Elton]

Like Steve, I don't buy mags all that often, but when I do I generally flick through the contents to see what tickles my fancy.

 

Last mag I bought was Boat Fishing Monthly.

[MJB]

I haven't bought a sea fishing magazine in years. Occasionally flick through one at the doctors, but generally find them uninteresting.

 

On the subject of magazines can anyone remember the quaterly sea angling magazine from the mid 1980s?

[DoubleShotDamo]

I haven't bought a sea fishing magazine in years. Occasionally flick through one at the doctors, but generally find them uninteresting.

 

On the subject of magazines can anyone remember the quaterly sea angling magazine from the mid 1980s?

Vaguely, but can't remember the name of it.

 

 

Steve, as for more fish, yes you are correct. But when there are some decent fish caught and publicised (like bass), all hell breaks loose on here!

[Steve Coppolo]

Vaguely, but can't remember the name of it.

Steve, as for more fish, yes you are correct. But when there are some decent fish caught and publicised (like bass), all hell breaks loose on here!

 

Only if they are caught commercially and then sold.

[codroamer]

The trouble with Sea Angler is that the fishing reports are so old because of the nature of the publication, that they really are almost worthless reading. And the "Hot-spot" sections are just a re-hash of the corresponding month for the previous year and the year before that....... Also, they have to play up the catches, simply because they have to. They're hardly going to say; "It's no good going fishing, because there is nothing being caught" It's hardly going to induce anybody to rush out and buy their magazine, is it?

 

As for the equipment tests that they do, these are hardly unbiased if they are testing for example a Penn product and half the magazine consists of Penn advertising. This applies to many other makes as well. If I was a manafacturer, I don't think I would renew my advert if I read that Sea Angler were slating my product in the very same publication that I had paid thousands of pounds for advertising!

 

The magazine seems to have taken a very big dip in circulation in recent years. I never see it on the shelves of mainstream newsagents like WH Smiths or the like anymore.

 

I once emailed Mel Russ and and dared to "criticise." I received a very curt reply, bordering on the rude! I have since desisted criricising and also stopped buying the magazine. At the end of the day it's personal choice.

[Elton]

I've just been out and bought Total Sea Fishing, Sea Angler and Boat Fishing Monthly just to see what you're all on about. That's my weekend reading sorted, then

[maximo]

tsf is better but only just ,i just got sea angler today looked through it and cant find any thing i want to read.if youve got half an idea how to fish theres nothing in there for you,little bitty articles that have no substance,nothing innovative,nothing to make you think.

[Norm B]

I've just been out and bought Total Sea Fishing, Sea Angler and Boat Fishing Monthly just to see what you're all on about. That's my weekend reading sorted, then

What, no Sea Angling News Elton?