Wild Steelhead and Salmon Mag

[Dana]

Just read a post by JD on the "destinations" board and it got me thinking about this great "old" mag. Towards the end things were starting to get a little repetitive and silly ("the fly girls?") but the first year was great, and there were moments of brilliance every few issues throughout the mag's life. I still go back and re-read Pete Soverel's Skagit article, the Bob York piece by Don Roberts, Jim Vincent's Greased Line how-to, and Tom McGuane's "Fly Fishing the Evil Empire," and a host of others. I actually still have all of my issues stacked on the floor beside the nighttable.

I'm with you JD--I miss it, too...

[Per Stadigh]

Hello Dana,

Issues slipped over to this part of the world as well. It indeed was a great publication - making us here as hot for Steelhead as you guys ever might be for our Atlantics.

What is the feedback on Pero's new magazine? Someone said it would be the one that reached most Steelheaders. Is that right? What other magazines would be widly read among your lot?

"Tight loops"
Per

[MikeB]

I didn't start getting Wild Steelhead & Salmon until the last two subscription years, but it was definitely the best magazine out there. I got the new magazine, Fish & Fly, for another year or two (?) and then did not renew. In my opinion it is any of the other fly fishing magazines out there wrapped in the WS&S cover. I was not too impressed, although I will still pick the magazine up in the store if their is a good salmon or steelhead article. I must say that I still find the writing in the new magazine to be the best of all of the publications, but most of the subject matter is of little interest to me.

Mike

[JDJones]

Per,

If you are referring to Fish and Fly, forget it. Just like any other flyfishing mag today and probably the leader featuring fly bunnies & bikinies. Give me a break! The closest thing I have found to replace the old Wild Steelhaed & Salmon mag is Flyfishing the Northwest.

JD
P.S. did you get my email about mill ends and Hi-Tek?

[pmflyfisher]

Wild Steelhead & Salmon was probably the best magazine I have seen on this subject.

Have several copies of it. Think you can still buy old copies, I found a URL a while back, any one interested in it, if I can find it ?

Some great articles, I pull mine out every once in a while.

[inland]

On my first trip to the Dean, Brad Jackson had left a business proposal of WS&S with Hodson's. Of course I read through it, became somewhat interested, and eagerly awaited until the magazine showed up on the shelves.

The entire series of mags are neatly (well sometimes) stacked on the book shelf and ready to dig into when the mood strikes, say 'bout now since the winter blues are really kicking me. :)

The article that I have just read to death is the Matapedia piece from Art Lee. If anything will make you want to salmon fish, this is it.

I checked to be sure, Fish and Fly does still offer back copies of every edition, from the inception of WS&S to that which evolved into the bimbo rag now for sale.

William

[JDJones]

Do you suppose if we could get Tom Pero to read these reviews, we might get WS&S back?:hehe:

JD

[JDJones]

My favorite was Hal Janssen's account of his first steelhead. Wading wet in the winter because no one made waders for 9 year old kids in 1952. The old timers from the Golden Gate Casting Club adopting him, setting him up with a shooting head system and teaching him to cast. Priceless!

Anyone know how to get in touch with Hal Janssen today? Sure would like to have him as a featured speaker at our club sometime.

JD

[NrthFrk16]

The first issue of WS&S I recieved was the first issue that they published with the standard magazine size.

Oh how I loved that magazine!!! Great articles, great pictures...eventhough Soveral referred to the indicator fishermen of the Stilly as "flyfishing wannabe's...gear slinging bozos." :(

Anyways, if anyone has any issues from the old format they would like to sell, let me know!!!! :) :) :)

[JR SPEY]

I talked to Tom Pero at the Fly Tackle Retailer Show and he said the reason that WS&S folded had to do with the lack of advertising support from the fly fishing industry. He said, and I'm sure he's right, that subscriber support was excellent. I'm sure he had a few people cancel their subscriptions after the Ted Williams interview (the ballplayer/fisherman Ted Williams) and probably a few more after the Fly Girls centerfold, but I believe most of us cherished the day our copy arrived in the mailbox. Unfortunately, there is no way a magazine can survive without the full page ads from the top rod and reel companies. And, their ad prices were very attractive. For some reason, the major components of the industry just decided to not support this magazine. That's truly a shame.

[JDJones]

I just counted sixteen full page adds in an issue of WS & S verses fourteen full page adds in the latest Issue of Fly Fisherman. so I am not sure I buy Mr Pero's comment regarding lack of support from the fly fishing industry.

And as mentioned earlier, some of the places that used to advertise in WS & S simply no longer have a forum in which to advertise. They have evidently come to the conclusion that their budgets do not allow them to advertise in the multitude of fly fishing magazines on the market today in order to reach those of us who chase steelhead and salmon.

Admittidly, we are a niche market. One the represents only a small portion of the flyfishing fraternity, which itself is tiny when compared to the total sport fishing industry. But hey, niche market businesses are out there today. And they are thriving.

IMHO WS & S was the victim of the bean counters. As are we.

JD

[metalhead]

i agree it was a great magazine and i enjoyed some of the silly stuff as i think some people can take this sport too seriously.does anybody know where steelhead bob york is these days and how to get hold of him????

[JR SPEY]

JD,

Tom said that the lack of support from the industry was to blame. I'm the one who speculated that that probably had to do with full page ads. I did so without checking any issues. I also have a good friend who was a large part of the "paper" behind the magazine, and he made much the same comment, so I assume there's quite a bit of truth to it. I get the feeling no one wanted to make the change, but simply felt they had to or risk going under completely. Since the magazine was not owned by one of the conglomerates, it probably wasn't a corporate-type bean counter, at least not in the traditional sense.

[tackleman]

A full page add does not necessarily mean full page revenue. All magazines go through a period of time when they are prepared to get a look that will generate the distribution numbers to eventualy bring in the revenue.
The large format was very nice from a design point of view but was not good for expense.
Look at what Schmookler is charging for his new mag. It too is beautiful but can it make it in the long run?

[pmflyfisher]

I never could understand why they did the large size format in the original WSS magazine. I have only early copies of it.

Got put on a world wide project for my company in 97-2000 and had no time for much of anything but airplanes, work, and family.

Never saw the fly girls lay out what did I miss ?

[NrthFrk16]

So no takers on selling poor 'ole Sparkey some back issues of WS&S (large format)??? :( :mad:

;)

[pmflyfisher]

Ryan,

Here is where you can buy back issues of Wild Steelhead and Salmon and the large format you like.

I cannot part with mine.

Best

Hal

http://www.fishandflymagazine.com/fish_and_fly_shop.html

[NrthFrk16]

Thanks Hal but I have checked buying back issues through Pero before and I dunno, the $25 price tag just seems a little pricey.

I guess one these days, I'll just have to bite the bullet. Before it's too late...

[Mary Perrollaz]

Hey guys.

Can I offer anyone a kleenex?

It sounds like the passing of Wild Steelhead & Salmon was tragic for most of you. I can tell you from first hand knowledge that the decision to end WS&S was not one favored by the staff of WS&S, it just had to be done.

The good news is.......back issues ARE STILL AVAILABLE! You can order the whole set (every magazine of WS&S published minus two sold out issues) for $200.00. Otherwise, they are being offered at $10.00 a piece. You can view a catalog of issues at
www.fishandflymagazine.com (http://www.fishandflymagazine.com)

The issues are getting limited, so now would be a good time to make sure your collection is complete.

Good fishing!

Mary Perrollaz
Director of Circulation
Fish & Fly Magazine

[juro]

Mary -

I wonder if you could help me out... I once saw an old archived photo of Hiram Chittenden's daughter standing on a rock on the Elwha (pre dam of course) holding a chromer summer run steelhead caught on a fly. She was a young pioneer girl yet had those knicker things on (people used to dress up to fish I guess!) and the combination of what the whole scene represented was pretty powerful.

I was told this picture was published in WS&S... would you happen to know which issue?

Actually I would be happy to purchase a bunch of back issues but would have to check my book case to see which ones' I don't already have.

thanks in advance!

Juro

[pmflyfisher]

$ 10 a back issue is a great deal, they were $ 13 U.S. new.

Will be checking this out, leave some issues for me.

[inland]

Juro,

Volume 4, number 3, spring 1998, "Back Casts" photo.

William

[NrthFrk16]

Juro-
Inland beat me to it. ;) I've got the issue at home and if you would like a nice photo quality copy of it, it wouldnt be a problems as I've got some other high qualitys copies I have to make at Kinko's.

Mary-
On your website, it says the back issues are $25. If they are actually 10, I will gobble up every back issue I dont have.

Thanks!

[Mary Perrollaz]

It sounds like you guys are going to keep me busy filling orders!

Yes, for a limited time we are offering them at $10 a piece.

:-)

Mary

P.S. There is also a catalog of sorts for the back issues in the recent winter issue of Fish & Fly. The covers of each magazine are blown up so its easier to tell if you own that particular issue.