Links to Other Forums

As mentioned in the Introduction to this section we are considering creating a forum within our web site to encourage the inter-change of information between anglers, and facilitate debate on issues relative to our sport. 

We fully recognise though that for it to work it will need not only a significant level of ‘visits’ and participation, but also an excellent level of moderation.  Anglers have got to feel ‘comfortable’ with the community and feel encouraged to participate.  What we would want to guard against is any individual feeling embarrassed in case they’ve asked a ‘wrong’ question or expressed a ‘wrong’ opinion.  Or for that matter others attempting to deride an individual’s opinion.  These are all factors we need to consider.

Whilst assessing these though, and to complement our potential forum, we have included within this section some Links to other Forums.  They are a mix of British, American (mainly) and Australian/New Zealand sites - some generalist, others specific to particular geographies, techniques, or species. 

How to use them?  If you have a specific requirement for information then just post your enquiry. 

You will find that some require you to register first, with access controlled through a User Name and Password.  Some of the User Names speak reams in themselves about the participants!   Not that it means much but mine’s ‘PanamaJack’ - for no other reason than I enjoy the explosive surface strikes from Bluefin Trevally, that I first encountered in Panama.

And you will find that some of the participants are fairly ‘robust’ and succinct in their views!  Other times you will find that no one at all will respond to an enquiry.  It just depends who views the forum within any particular timescale.

Some forums will automatically e-mail those participating in a particular topic as soon as there’re any new postings to develop the theme.  Others however are less sophisticated and will require you to access the site every few days to check on progress.

Some as well will automatically move topics to the top of the list as someone responds to a particular subject.

Magazines
www.floridasportsman.com  An excellent and very active site that, as its name suggests, is devoted to sporting activity – fishing and hunting – in Florida.  Recently it has been divided into a number of mini forums and broadened its scope to cover international venues – most posting to which though focus on the Caribbean!  As with most you’ll find some inane postings but, overall, I’ve found the quality of responses is excellent.

In addition the Region specific areas of the site – viewed through the menu down the left-hand side are a good starting point if you’re looking for information on an area, or tactics.

www.flyfishinsalt.com  As the name implies its forum is focused on saltwater fly-fishing.  You will discover however that many of the forum’s participants are ‘dyed in the wool’ Flats anglers so any mention of offshore activities has them ‘spitting blood’!

www.marlinmag.com   The primary focus of the site is on offshore species although, occasionally, you’ll find references to fly or inshore fishing.  At times it can be a fairly active forum, and tends to be international in flavour.

www.shallowwaterangler.com   A US site with mini forums dedicated to the coastal waters of individual, or groupings of states from Texas to Maine.

www.southfloridasportfishing.com  As is name implies the site’s focus is Southern Florida and the ‘Keys.  However, if that’s where you’re planning to visit, could be worth accessing. 

When I initially viewed it in late September 2003 it looked a tad embryonic.  Requires registration prior to posting entries, but on the plus side it’s free.  And interestingly it’s split between mini forums – region and species specific.

www.sportfishingmag.com  A reasonably active US site with a bias towards offshore fishing although you will find occasional references to inshore and fly fishing.  You’ll find reference to non-American venues but, in the main, they will be places easily accessible to US anglers.

Organisations – Clubs
www.igfa.org  The web site of the International Game Fish Association.  Given its large membership, and position of pre-eminence in game-fishing circles, it’s surprising that its forum isn’t more active.  But a reasonable ‘generalised’ forum for both fresh or saltwater anglers.

Additionally as part of the IGFA’s drive to become more relevant to international – as opposed to largely ‘Stateside members – they have recently set up a multi-lingual embryonic web site for European anglers.  It has provision for a forum, but is currently limited to IGFA members only.  Further details are available through www.igfaeuropa.org.  Just an update though.  I’ve now e-mailed on two separate occasions, two months apart, and as yet have failed to elicit any form of response from them.  Not the best of ads I’m afraid.  I understand that the IGFA have unfortunately 'pulled the plug' on this venture after what has proved a relatively short period.  The note will be left as a saluatory reminder!

www.nfsa.org.uk  The web site of the National (England) Federation of Sea Anglers.  It has a small embryonic Discussion Board, covering Shore and Boat fishing in this country, which can be accessed from their Home Page through ‘Related Links’.

Others
www.allcoastsportfishing.com Appears to be a fairly active portal web site with links in Southern California.  From observation there’s a reasonably active core of knowledgeable respondents.  Certainly worth looking at.

www.caranx.net  A fascinating Spanish site, some of whose forums are in English.  It's devoted entirely to jigging and popper fishing and extremely active with knowledgeable participants from around the world.  Well worth viewing!  Like several of the site's you'll need to register (free) to create or post to threads.  By the way Caranx is the Latin genus for the Jack family.

www.danblanton.com  Very much a site for the fly fishing afficinado!  Has an active Bulletin Board - scroll down to the base of the home page.

www.euswff.com  A new forum, literally just formed at the end of August 2004, that focuses on European saltwater flyfishers.  Whilst there is provision for language specific postings I suspect that the 'meat' of discussion threads will be in English.  It's 'grown' out of the ukswff site and I suspect that it will ultimately attract similar knowledgeable fly fishers.

www.fishing.co.uk  A reasonably impressive portal site.  The bulk of the forum seems to be devoted to UK freshwater fishing, although there are occasionally saltwater and overseas threads.

www.fishing.net.nz  Another impressive portal site with forums devoted to New Zealand fishing.  A starting point if you’re looking to venture south to the Antipodes.

www.fishnet.com.au  An excellent, well presented portal site focused on Australia and the South Pacific.  Very active forums.

www.fishandfly.co.uk  Another portal site that primarily focuses on fly fishing for European freshwater gamefish - Trout, Salmon and Grayling.  It links to a series of excellent, well supported forums accessed by knowledgeable fly fishers.  When I checked there was even a forum devoted to saltwater fly fishing - the fastest growing branch of our sport.

www.flyfishingforum.com  An excellent site whose primary focus is saltwater fly fishing from Cape Cod, Massachusetts - Striped Bass and Bluefish being the primary taergets.  However it does contain a well contructed series of excellent, and very active forums that can be accessed from the main menu through the FishTalk link.  Whilst it requires you to register to post it's absolutely free!

www.globalflyfisher.com This is described as the Internet's Cutting Edge Fly Fishing site.  Alright, perhaps some hype, but it is an excellent site which has been developed, in English, by four Danish anglers.  The reasonably active forums can be accessed via the home page's menuing structure certainly appear to attract a number of well read, well travelled anglers.  And the postings are very international in content.

The rest of the site is well worth a look particularly for information on European venues and innovative fly patterns and techniques.

www.huntforbigfish.com  I guess many of you would have heard of Larry Dahlberg, the innovative flytier who came up with the Dahlberg Diver.  Well this site which, in the main, supports his ESPN television series - Hunt for Big Fish - also links to a reasonable active fly fishing forum.

www.legendlures.com  Although there isn’t a forum in its traditional sense, incorporated as it is within Roddy Hays web site, its Cybernet Café section is well worth reading.  It reflects many interesting ‘threads’ and reports from a number of the areas we, as European anglers, fish.

www.marlinnut.com  An excellent site.  It’s one of the very few sites for which registered members are required to pay a subscription fee – 25$US per annum.  However parts of the site, including the forum, is accessible at no charge.  Whilst international in content its main focus, you’ll discover, is on Southern California.

www.medflyfish.com  As its name suggests this site, and its reasonably active multiple forums focus on fly fishing in the Mediterranean, although one forum is devoted to fishing overseas.  And whilst it has been developed by Italian anglers much of the site, and accompanying forums, are bi-lingual.  When I checked in early April 2004 the international forum particularly had postings from Beligan, British and Dutch anglers, as well as Italians.  I'm sure, if you get stuck linguistically, there are many sites containing translation software to help!  One such is http://world.altavista.com/babelfish/tr.

www.noreast.com  A portal site with very active forums focusing on the North Eastern USA.

www.reel-time.com  Described as the Internet Journal of Saltwater Fly Fishing.  An excellent site with what has to be a group of the most active forums.  When I first viewed it at what was before 7am ‘Stateside - Eastern Standard - time there were over 300 users accessing it!  Or was there a fault in their user logging software?

www.rodbuilding.org  Just the site if you want information regarding rod building techniques, where to source parts, etc.

www.sdfish.com The ‘SD’ stands for San Diego.  And I’d expected lots of postings regarding the long-range party boat trips down to Baja, Mexico.  How wrong can one be!  It’s all about freshwater fishing in Southern California.  But a useful starting point if you were planning a trip to the area – encompassing a day’s dabbling - or the ‘States in general.

www.sportsfishaustralia.com.au  Another excellent portal site with very active forums.  Lots of ‘chatter’ about current fishing activity in Australia but I’m sure a site you would readily get responses to enquiries from.

www.boldwater.com  A forum, accessed through the home page link, with very much a Florida focus.  Some of the response chatter is a tad inane but it’s well worth sifting through.  Over recent months (May 2004) the level of postings to this site appear to have, for no apparent reason, reduced significantly.

www.ukswff.co.uk  I have to say that this reasonably active site, with a knowledgeable membership, came as a complete surprise being, as it is, a site devoted to UK Saltwatrer Fly Fishing.  It has a range of forums, one of which though is international in content.  Well worth a look.

www.worldseafishing.com   Another excellent site constantly being updated.  Its forum, strangely not particularly active, focused mainly on the British Isles but you occasionally get  international posts.

Species Specific
www.stripersurf.com  I suppose for many US East Coast anglers the Striped Bass is THE premier sports fish – from inshore waters or the surf, on bait, lure or ‘the fly’.  A versatile quarry not, I suppose, dissimilar to the European Bass except they grow up to nearly 80lbs in weight!

I had expected to find numerous other sites with forums devoted to specific species – species with large followings like Bonefish and Tarpon.  But, embarrassingly, this was the only one I’ve encountered.  Doesn’t say much about my ‘surfing’ ability!

If, through your surfing though, you encounter other forums that you consider would be of interest to our members and other anglers accessing our site could you please advise us through info@scbi.org.uk.