Supporting the Irish Angler magazine

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#21 Post by **Al and Jordan** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:11 am

time to start submitting articles then

#22 Post by AG » Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:09 pm

Is it not the magazines job to get its own self sorted out ? If they wanted info/ articles on sea fishing and casting should they not put that in every month anyway to give the people who buy it something to read ? Its there job to go get the info ? And should the writers be paid for there contribution ? We all write our own magazine articles on here everytime we log in and participate in our own chosen forums , and its up todate , and doesnt cost anything , i think sea angling and casting in ireland does a great service on here , by us for us ,

#23 Post by **dfella25** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 3:50 pm

Fair point Andrew but the original post from IA was on facebook where people who seen it "liked" their page. So the post was aimed at people who have a direct interest in the mag. IA asked for support only from those people. I'm sure they are happy with any constructive criticism and I know IA will happily engage with its readers.

There is nothing wrong with asking for support from those who read the mag. If they have an interest in IA it's in people's interest to buy it and therefore support it.

#24 Post by AG » Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:12 pm

Yes but the topic i replied to was on here , and they got more feedback on here than on facebook ! And lads said on here they used to buy it so they were the people who it was aimed at anyway ? If it was good people would buy it know doubt , if people bought it more then advertiseing in it would be worth while , that draws in revenue and that pays for good stafff writers and so on .......................
Of course if you run a magazine you know this already ?

#25 Post by **Mikesound** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:35 pm

Their bookface page has been updated numbering the articles relating to each type of fishing. Good to sea (hahaha) the feedback from here being used.

#26 Post by **twinkle** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 4:01 am

have been reading this tread and a couple of questions come to mind [1] does this mag have journalists that attend comps, or visit clubs, or join lads fishing ,take pictures or interview fishermen who are out every week they can fishing?. or is it all done from a desk.[2] or do they just take shore/boat reports and highlight the angler and the area from posts sent to them.

unless they have a network of reporters from each provance that report each week on different beaches with local anglers .all they will ever have is 2 pages of sea angling. i myself dont buy angling mags because its mostly like an add book for fishing tackle.ie"joe caught this 20lb salmon useing blah blah lures" normally followed by some joe holding the fish in his blah blah jacket boots hat and anything else blah blah they could sqeeze in to the picture.as for it been an irish mag i wonder is it.like if i buy the irish sun am i been patriotic dosent paddy o murdock own it.these mags are sold not to improve your angling but to sell you tackle and pay the mags sponsers who i doubt any are irish

#27 Post by **petekd** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:32 pm

Interesting stuff lads, so, come on, tell us then what you want to see and read about. Its more difficult than you would think trying to get stuff together for a feature so some inspiration would help! Weather, work, family stuff has played havoc with my angling this past few months and that has no doubt shown as havent been able to get features together as often or as well as I would like. So, someone stand up and tell us what you want to read.... We'll do our best! It cant cost a fortune and it must be of general appeal. If someone is doing something exciting and thinks it would make a great feature, get in touch, through here or through the Facebook page.

Twinkle, IA have a team of contributors that go out each month in their own particular field and put together pieces for publication. It is not all done from behind a desk let me tell you! It is nigh on impossible to plan from month to month as to what to be writing about from a shore perspective because there are so many variables involved in what and where to go catching! I have covered comps in the past and will do in the future but that in itself isn't easy. Photography, taking notes and trying to fish and compete, its a tough ask. After a day spent gathering bait and tying traces, I travelled to Benone yesterday with the intention of covering the Ulster Gold Medal for the mag. As it happened there was 1 fish caught within about 100 yards of me and it was black dark, the biggest (only!) fish I had was 14cm. No pictures equals no article and sure who wants to read an article on a piss poor session anyway? The only instructive thing you could take from that would be Benone is a desert in January and I may have covered that last January at the Stuart Langridge Memorial comp! All well and good but thats 2 days wasted and I'm sat here now on a Monday trying to work out where to go to catch a few fish and put something together ASAP.

It has to be remembered also that each article must have broad appeal. I enjoy reading the game and coarse stuff because its well enough written to be able to stand on its own as a read. Its about fishing, I like fishing therefore fishy articles of all kinds interest me. People, dont buy IA solely to read Fly tying articles or specifically for small boat articles, buy it to have a general read about angling in this country. This talk of it being a UK magazine is nonsense. Its as Irish as you're going to get. Its produced in Castlebar and its put together by a team of Irish lads fishing around the country. Its very easy to sit back and have a go but at least try and be constructive and tell us what you would like. There is a market for this type of magazine, it wouldn't have survived this long if there wasn't but there is of course always room for improvement.

#28 Post by **petekd** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:37 pm

Thanks by the way to the lads that have got in touch via pm, anyone else any ideas they dont want to bandy about the public domain, message away....

#29 Post by **Tanglerat** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:12 pm

I'd quite like to see an article on kite-fishing for Bluefin Tuna off the shore at Horn Head. Sort it out pete, there's a good chap.

>snigger<

#30 Post by AG » Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:28 pm

Tanglerat wrote:I'd quite like to see an article on kite-fishing for Bluefin Tuna off the shore at Horn Head. Sort it out pete, there's a good chap.

>snigger<

thats a fresh idea !!! the thing is about reporting on comps etc is that within 24hrs of a comp being fished , the whole world knows what happened and who won etc , so its old news by the time the story comes to print ?
the whole idea about a good mag is that it should be as if there was on internet for its readers , and then articles should carry on to the next month so that people cant wait for the next issue to catch up etc etc ?

#31 Post by **petekd** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:07 pm

Hi Andrew, when it comes to reporting on comps, you are of course 100% right in that results etc are out there immediately. What isnt in the public domain for the most part however is what worked, what didnt work, how the beach fished in general on the day, what way to approach it for another visit etc and that is where the value of an article on it comes in. A lot of people havent fished matches and it goes some way to explaining just how things work in that environment too. Also, its nice for lads who have done well to get a bit of recognition in print regardless as to how late it is. We have to have articles in within about a month of the title hitting the shelves, that does make life a little difficult when it comes to keeping things topical and I take on board what you're saying.

#32 Post by **round_ourway** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:09 pm

I hate to be a doom and gloom artist but I'm afraid talking from my own experience I used to buy Newspapers and sea angling magazines but its easier, cheaper and faster to get information on the internet using my phone which is always with me or my laptop.

I understand I feel like I have also out-grown sea angling magazines purely because the teach me nothing new.

You can always go the tabloid route.. get the filthy reading going, bit of scandal, pictures of fish with there boobs out on page 3.

#33 Post by AG » Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:24 pm

petekd wrote:Hi Andrew, when it comes to reporting on comps, you are of course 100% right in that results etc are out there immediately. What isnt in the public domain for the most part however is what worked, what didnt work, how the beach fished in general on the day, what way to approach it for another visit etc and that is where the value of an article on it comes in. A lot of people havent fished matches and it goes some way to explaining just how things work in that environment too. Also, its nice for lads who have done well to get a bit of recognition in print regardless as to how late it is. We have to have articles in within about a month of the title hitting the shelves, that does make life a little difficult when it comes to keeping things topical and I take on board what you're saying.

if thats what sells the magazine thats fine , i am all for recognition for guys aswell , but thats only one item that takes up maybe 2 pages in the mag with a few pics thrown in , once a month !!

#34 Post by **JimC** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 12:14 am

David Dinsmore replied via Facebook:

All I can say is that we try to keep a balance in the mag, which is difficult. The main comment we get from anglers of any discipline is that there isn't enough of their particular one in it! For your information, most months there are at least three sea articles in the mag, often four. Pete Davis and Kit Dunne are top competition anglers, while Jim Clohessy covers dinghy angling and Terry Jackson does a lot of sea angling. Peter McGroary will be back, but he's had some personal issues. If Irish anglers don't want an Irish quality magazine that's fine! But we support Irish businesses, tackle shops and wholesalers too. Another point is that last time I asked if anyone would like to contribute sea angling articles to the mag I got no takers. Lots of people talk a good game, but when it comes to delivering the goods every month it's a different story. Constructive feedback is welcome!

One other thing. The magazine is printed in England, yes. When we bought it from DHP nearly three years ago we asked Irish printers to quote as we wanted to have it printed here too. None of them could do it cheaply enough to make it economic for us. We have consistently asked Irish printers for prices. the last one didn't even return my call! And in case you didn't know, Digest is printed in the UK too, probably for the same reason!

#35 Post by **JimC** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 12:27 am

I have been writing for IA for a number of years now. Some will know that I contribute the monthly “Dinghy Angler” article. I like writing articles and I try to produce information/advice/suggestions/ideas that are of use. The feedback I get from fellow anglers/readers is positive.

It has been done to death here before but:
We do not have the market for type-specific magazines here in Ireland. Therefore IA is what it is and covers all disciplines. I must say I read all articles each month (with the possible exception of some fly tying, a subject I know little about and am afraid to try in case I like it

). Reading about other disciplines has broadened my outlook and has given me much food for thought.

Sometimes articles come easy. Sometimes it can be very difficult. Decent words are useless without decent pictures. It is always a challenge to be innovative.
I always welcome feedback from readers. I welcome ideas and invitations to fish on different boats with different anglers. I try to accommodate visiting anglers too if possible.

There will always be a market for paper magazines – the ipad just does not feel as good on the bog

Irish Angler has to be jack-of-all-trades and as such it will always be a difficult task to keep everybody happy.

Every angler has an article in him. Whether he can keep it going is another question.

Get typing and submitting to David Dinsmore!

#36 Post by **twinkle** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 12:52 am

Its very easy to sit back and have a go but at least try and be constructive and tell us what you would like. There is a market for this type of magazine, it wouldn't have survived this long if there wasn't but there is of course always room for improvement.

pete i certainly wasent having a go. as i said in the post i dont buy any angling mag . i was asking how or why there would be only 2 pages on sea angling as posted by others in the tread. and the other question that was asked was it irish which you have answered .i can see how hard it must be to get good angling features when everywhere is fishing crap .how ever why not do a monthly club feature where you highlight some of the clubs from the different provinces. and go out with them to maybe one of there club comps and show the history of the clubs and there top anglers .and what there goals are for the club there are clubs seeped in history and this will highlight some juicy stories and old photos.

#37 Post by **red** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:44 am

twinkle wrote:
why not do a monthly club feature where you highlight some of the clubs from the different provinces. and go out with them to maybe one of there club comps and show the history of the clubs and there top anglers .and what there goals are for the club there are clubs seeped in history and this will highlight some juicy stories and old photos.

this is a good idea, there will always be a few fish caught at comps for a pic or 2, added to a group photo and maybe another one of the winner. even if the fishing is crap there is a story about the club, its anglers, its history and its future goals.

#38 Post by **petekd** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 11:57 am

Good idea lads....

#39 Post by **JimH** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 2:46 pm

As an Irish person contributing to an Irish magazine IA has been of great benefit to my small business, the profile of Irish bass angling and SEAi - but not only that.

Through both Roger Baker and David Dinsmore as editors, from as early as 2004, both have published many articles that I contributed in relation to not only bass angling in this country, but the issues that the bass fishery faces.

This 'new wave' of bass articles was way ahead of any UK publication and while I wouldn't normally say this I was proud to write and produce articles and photographs of people from around the world (and home) enjoying Irish bass fishing on a regular basis. With five cover photos http://www.probassfisher.com/2011/08/co ... prise.html for the magazine with five different people - Denmark, USA, Ireland, France and Italy represented as a sample - IA and these odd twenty articles contributed to the awareness of the potential of the small recovery of recreational bass fishing in this country. In some way I would like to believe it strengthened a case for its continued protection.

It was a simple objective - a larger profile could create/maintain/tweek interest and build activity in many areas for bass fishing

This wasn't some self promoting ego trip for me it was an opportunity to work together to promote responsibly, sensibly and fairly, and maintain our respective jobs and the fishery. This was especially evident with the opportunity to write a series of articles for one year as a full time bass fishing guide working in this country - probably the first time its ever been done by any magazine.

This is not a publication that can hire in flashy Journos to talk up anything they want - it can only work with its valuable contributions and the small staff the operation supports, and is probably a better more realistic magazine for it!

Yes it does have some issues, many sources of competition and negates like any other business -

Think about it, go out and build a contribution, have the experience of the writing making the photos and the anticipation of seeing it in print - then you can say I did something to help Irish Sea Angling - good knows it needs it.

#40 Post by **Bradan** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 2:53 pm

As someone who fishes for salmon, trout and pike as well as all the saltwater species I find the mag great - usually plenty of content for all disciplines and I've learned a huge amount from reading articles by some of the contributors - while the quality of writing is very variable I think the sea angling articles are brilliantly written, especially when compared to some of the UK mags. I think sometimes the quality of the photography can be hit or miss, but I'm more interested in the info.
Something I'd like to see more of is new techniqes given more space, stuff like soft plastics which is a rapidly developing branch of angling, and more instructional stuff like rig tying, casting, uptiding explained, etc etc

Sea Angling Ireland