Tackle Reviews In Magazines

[Wildfisher]

Poll results are visible only to voters.

Feel free to comment if you wish.

[tomcatin]

Call me a cynic .......... but there seems to be inextricable relationship between many reviewed products and the publications regular advertisers 

[keithfish]

For christmas a well meaning relative gave me a years t/s subscription :roll: first copy arrived at the weekend very little of any interest,even stans article was a bit dull         

[haresear]

I'm the one that voted yes I could equally well have voted no

I voted yes, because I used to read these reviews and they did influence my choices to some degree.

These days I don't tend to buy magazines at all.

Having had some insight into the symbiotic relationship between professional/semi-professional anglers and the tackle trade, I wouldn't now trust a review in a magazine or a website unless I know the person involved, or at least know they have no vested interest.

Alex

[Highlander]

I voted no but with  one concession. I have used reviews in the past as "a guide" but nothing more. I like most of you guys have a look & make up my own mind. I do however take advice from forums members as I know that is will be in the main to be based on experience & good practice by like minded souls.

there seems to be inextricable relationship between many reviewed products and the publications regular advertisers 

sadly this is all to true in many cases. One thing that gets my goat & I am not knocking the guys employed by AN OTHER fishing tackle manufacturer as they are simply earning a crust but to see say Hywell Morgan or Charles Jardine & a few others extolling the virtues of say Scierra/Hardy/Sage whatever then six months down the line they switch & it is another
rod/reel manufacturer gets on my goat. You do not see it so often but would admire the person that reviews someing & tells it like it is good bad or indifferent. Sadly they are few & far between. That is why would take the word of forum member over a magazine any day.

PS I would still check it out out & make my own decision.

Tight Lines

[Billy]

I dont think Ive ever been swayed by a tackle review to buy or not.

I prefer to hear from other fisherman whether some is good or not.

[Wildfisher]

I can't recall ever reading a review in T&S that said don't buy product X because it is shite. So a complete waste of time really.

Not only T&S. This worries me too.

[Wildfisher]

Having had some insight into the symbiotic relationship between professional/semi-professional anglers and the tackle trade, I wouldn't now trust a review in a magazine or a website unless I know the person involved, or at least know they have no vested interest.

Indeed. This is the reason I have never asked you, Alan or any of the other qualified instructors I know to "review" my fly lines. Try them to see what you think - yes - "review"  no.

In fact I have never and will never ask anyone I know to do anything like that. It is, and I stress this is my opinion,  fundamentally dishonest and sharp practise. However, if a customer or anyone who uses my lines wants to comment on them that's fine, but it must be of their own volition and not promoted, encouraged by freebees, done out of a sense of duty or friendship, or encouraged or coerced in any way. Other may wish to go down that road, but not me.

[bushy palmer]

I voted No but I'm probably the least qualified to do so in so much as I no longer buy magazines. Being that most tackle seems to be geared towards stockie bashing, I'm more inclined to be influenced by a recomendation on this site as opposed to a review online.

[Bobfly]

I have not really seen many specific reviews of any piece of tackle in this forum. Recently one about a tying vice. Someone might ask "Does anyone have a view about ....?" and get quite a few replies, but actual reviews ... not many. How many posts are there here from someone who has just bought Rod X and posted in "This is a great rod, buy one'? There are probably more posts about the latest bargains from Aldi and Lidl.

Magazines are handy in that you can see new stuff coming on the market, but they may be of more interest for information about places and countries I have never been to. The equipment they review is not, for rods and things, at the cheap end of the market  so they are hardly very likely to say that "this rod costs £25 and it is the best specified piece of leading edge rod development currently available". You can read between the lines. The magazines like FFnFT will also have plenty info and reviews on lots of little things like new hooks and tying threads. As has already been said, reviews are a part of the info store that you take in when you are thinking about buying something. Folks are happy looking at web-page reviews for just the same reasons.