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Date: November 14, 2002 at 15:17:38
From: ken, [pool-64-223-42-13.prov.east.verizon.net]
Subject: Re: Salt Water Fly Fishing, Dec. 2002, Deceptive Fly Rod Article....


You are probably right Jay. Expecting content that is focused on fishing in the articles about fishing in the salt water fly fishing magazines is too much to expect. Getting grass rootsopinions published and out there is not what they do however - unless of course your opinions are what the advertisers are promoting. Having a web site is a way to do as evidenced by your ability to publish your opinions about me and what I do and charge for procucts and services published here. I, of course have to leave it on the site for that to happen and I have to choose to let it be here for all to see. As for writing a book, that is a way to do it too. The only problem with that is people may not buy it and you can not “Get,” them to buy it if it doesn’t deliver more than a marketing promotion of products. Getting them to buy it is a selling focus rather than a content of value approach. Some people write books to make money and others write them to share information.
If the information is good then the books continue to sell and are helpful. That is an old fashioned way of looking at it but it still is the way a good book is judged - on the content. Not if you can “Get,” them to buy it. If it is good it will be bought and valued. If you “Get them to buy it,” as the first order of business then selling the book is more important than writing a good book. Take your pick. Some of the best books on fishing were not promoted to get the public to buy them but were written because the author had something to say, give and share.
The magazine business is no more or no less than the display of advertising materials according to your definition. I did not know that. I (silly me) thought that the content had something to do with fishing not just selling products. I stand corrected and am in your debt. I have heard of magazines that actually have content and are not controlled by advertisers but those magazines are perhaps irrelevant to the salt water fishing audience. These irrelavent magazines do sell advertising but they keep the content separate from duplicity. I think it is called journalistic integrity. That is an old fashioned idea that used to be important to writers and editors.
I have benefited from hard work and sharing with other fishermen freely for many, many years.
You do not understand that calling on the fishing magazines to publish articles about fishing is not a negative thing. It is not a negative thing Jay it is simply a call for them to write about fishing. As you so clearly pointed out the magazine business is in the business of selling advertising. I did not know that that was all there was to it. I thought that there was supposed to be some consideration of the readers and their faith in the substance in the articles that were not listed with the headline disclaimer of “This is an advertisement,” I have noticed that on television when a segment is an infomercial there is always a disclaimer so that the folks who may think it is an unbiased piece are informed to its origin as an advertisement and may or may not watch it in an informed way. That simply means that the content is not un-biased and is about selling something but without the endorsement of the television network. It is business as you say but it is defined as such and therefore the host station or network has acted within the business of selling the advertising space as advertising space with integrity. Infomercials are legitimate ways of selling products. Magazines also do this labeling of promotions of products. I have seen them as have you and everyone else and there is a boundary between them. People on the whole recognize this when it is displayed and are grateful to any business that honors this way of doing business as it tells them that their best interest is being respected.
Separating selling from content is not a bad thing to do in general. It puts the peoples need to be informed first and allows the selling to be honorable and above board.
I do this on this site and the store portion of the site is separate from the content portion of the boards. I have opinions as do you and so do others and I wish you well in all you do and care about. People can come and fish with me for free every Tuesday night, about five hundred came this year more or less and the same was true last year not including the trips I made at my own expense to share with others in New Jersey and the Cape because I want to do it - and so I do.
I do this because I always have done it and I did it long before I wrote a book or was well known outside of R.I. I have not changed the way I do things to make a living from fly-fishing.
I keep the two separate - the business and the sharing. You can say what you will about how you see my motives but the track record is long and solid and has borne much good fruit for many people who have chosen to come and benefit from the old fashioned way of sharing time and company with other fly fishermen of good will. You are invited and you can come too. The only thing I ask all is to not bring items for sale and share with others from your experience. We missed you at the Spey Rod gathering at Quanny. Your expertise would have benefited others and I hope you come and share with those who can benefit from your knowledge and casting skill and experience at the next one. You may actually enjoy helping others at no charge. It feels good to do it and I hope that others who make their living from fly fishing begin to try it and find out how good it feels to simply share with others for the good of the sport.
Grass roots sharing is a good thing to do. The business of fishing is not the same as fishing.
I know the difference many people in the business do not. The people are aware of the difference and want the disclaimers to be displayed. Anything less is deceptive and apparent.
Hope I see you at the next gathering as I know that you have much to give to others and I donot believe that sharing withothers for free will hurt your ability to benefit financially from fly fishing. By keeping the business part separate from the sharing and caring about others part you and those who you share with will benefit in many ways that are hard to put a price tag on. Why don't you try it perhaps it will change your life for the better and you won't have to be so angry about grass roots guys asking the magazines to write about fishing in the fishing magazines.


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