Best Fly Fishing Magazines

[echuck66]

I'm wondering what magazines most fly fishers like and why. Which ones do you subscribe to and what made you decide on that one?

I have a two year subscription to Fly Fusion and recently subscribed to Eastern Fly Fishing. The Fly Fusion subscription was a gift, but I can't quite figure out how it could be considered to be a periodical when issues seem to randomly appear. They have great photography, but like most national or international magazines on the sport, it focuses mainly on the dream fishing locations such as Henry's Fork, Montana, Alaska and British Columbia.

I love the articles in Eastern Fly Fishing, and one in particular a few years ago inspired me to make a week-long trip to Pine Creek in North Central PA this April.

The only thing I don't like about Eastern Fly Fishing is that the issues are bi-monthly, but I'm wondering if they publish with any form of regularity either since it's already March and the March-April issue hasn't yet arrived and the January-February issue is still shown as the "current issue" on their website.

Which magazines do you subscribe to and why? Do the issues come at regular intervals?

 

[dryflyguy]

I'm not real crazy about any of them.
However, I still get fly fisherman. And I resubscribe to it only after they offer me the big discount - $10 a year for 6 issues. But I wouldn't pay the listed rate of $30. I'm just not that interested in it - or any other magazine - anymore.
I mainly read it to keep up on new gear and books. And it does have some fishing destinations pieces that I find enjoyable.


I don't think any magazine publishes monthly anymore

 

[JackM]

Here is a prior discussion from the distant past:

Prior PAFF Magazine Thread

When I did read FF mags,I liked American Angler the best, but I was looking more for technique articles. Other famous FF mags emphasize destinations, photography, or whatever.

 

[echuck66]

My two biggest complaints about any of them is that they don't seem to publish issues on a regular basis and that when they do, they are overloaded with ads.

 

[Fishidiot]

I like a bunch of them....however, the quality of fishing and outdoor magazines is, I think, much diminished from where it was a generation ago. Like most if not all print media.....these magazines are victims of the times.

 

[geebee]

I subscribe to Eastern Fly Fishing and American Angler, if I can't fish I like to read about it.

Midatlantic Fly Fishing Guide is free and monthly. I always pick up a copy.

 

[whheff]

The Drake
American Angler

 

[rrt]

1. Flyfishing and Tying Journal (Western slant)
2. The Drake (stories, not how-to)
3. Fly Rod & Reel

 

[sandfly]

Fly Tyer and Hatches

 

[salmonoid]

paflyfish.com

It has a wide variety of topics. Some are hit and miss but that is not unlike print magazines. The price is right - requires only an Internet connection. Sometimes, some pretty good articles, photos or videos show up. Some are original member content, others are aggregated from other online sources.

 

[raftman]

The Drake. Hands down the best magazine in my opinion. But maybe I'm biased since they published my stuff.

 

[poopdeck]

None. I've perused some at cabelas and could not find any that seemed remotely worth buying. That's not specific to fly fishing though since I don't have a single magazine subscription.

 

[Chaz]

None of them, they just keep publishing the same stuff over and over and over...

 

[DanVerona]

I subscribe to Fly Fisherman, American Angler, Eastern Fly Fishing, and Fly Tyer Magazine.

I"d say Fly Tyer is the most useful for a novice that wants to get into fly tying (and there was a person on eBay that was selling vouchers so that you get 3 years for less than $20, try to search for them, he might still have the vouchers...)

Eastern Fly Fishing is pretty good if you like to travel around this half of the country, but its a bit pricier. I found some back-issues on eBay as well, specific to PA streams, which I enjoyed.

American Angler and Fly Fisherman are pretty similar, and I see them being repetitive already as I go into my 2nd year with them.

Check Amazon & eBay for discount prices/vouchers, and it's not as painful. I agree with a previous poster, that I'm going to hold out renewing until they give me the "last chance deal"....

 

[rrt]

I re-upped to FFM, too, since their present issue had no beck photos. I hope this continues. If I see beck photos in future issues, I'll know I've been "had."

 

[TLoomis]

I like the Drake personally. It's a solid porcelain throne read for sure

 

[streamerguy]

The internet. Whenever I'm at the local Gander Mtn. or anywhere else I always browse through the magazines and skim through some of the more interesting articles, but I couldn't really get myself to purchase any as there's such a wealth of info/articles on the web. I know it's not fly fishing centered, but if I had to pick one magazine to subscribe to it would probably be the PA Angler & Boater.

rrt wrote:
I re-upped to FFM, too, since their present issue had no beck photos. I hope this continues. If I see beck photos in future issues, I'll know I've been "had."

It was only a matter of time before someone had to bring it up ;-) lol

 

[tomitrout]

I'd buy the Drake if the local shop still carried it, I won't go out of my way to buy any magazine though. There was a time though, but after a two year or so cycle, all the mat'l's been recycled and repackaged for the most part. Smaller local-ish rags are still good though, the Mid-A Fly Fishing guide is a good quick read, Eastern Fly Fishing was decent, but I didn't re-up the subscription...these interwebz are pretty handy nowadays.

 

[sroach]

I agree with the few guys that mentioned the Drake. Great read!

 

[Crotalus]

I subscribe to the Drake, and read This is Fly, and Southern Culture on the Fly online.

I am not looking for how-to articles though.