Angling Trade has partnered with MidCurrent to create a comprehensive online Gear Guide featuring reviews, videos, and photographs of fly fishing products available for 2012. It is one of the most comprehensive consumer media resources focused on fly-related products, involving over 160 new products and 140 different brands. It also promises to be one of the most widely-read, having generated more than 180,000 ad impressions on the day it was launched (October 12) alone.
A team of writers and editors from both MidCurrent and Angling Trade took several weeks to compile the guide, starting before the International Fly Tackle Dealer trade show in New Orleans. Readers can browse the guide by category–rods, reels, waders, accessories, and so forth–by company, or by individual product. Each gear “category” page includes a segment overview, with links to specific products, as well as manufacturers. There are also numerous product videos, in which the audience can hear manufacturers explain the attributes of these new products. There is no cost for consumers to access any of the information in the Gear Guide.
Best of all, the MidCurrent/Angling Trade Gear Guide is an evolving resource. Because it is an online platform, new products, more in-depth field tests, and follow-up reviews, photos, and videos can and will be added and aggregated into the Gear Guide over time.
“The goal is to continue to build this as a comprehensive resource where fly fishing consumers can get the latest, up-to-date information on new products and market trends,” said Tim Romano, managing editor of Angling Trade. “The partnership between Angling Trade and MidCurrent brings insight from the manufacturer and retailer perspective together with the bandwidth that reaches a massive international audience. There’s nothing quite like it that’s so readily accessible, comprehensive, and adaptable to include more information over time.”
“The combined editorial resources of AT and MidCurrent make it possible for us to examine products from both the selling side and the buying side; in our view it’s the best way to present a picture of what brands are making waves, and which products that may be undiscovered by consumers are also worth paying attention to,” said Marshall Cutchin, publisher of MidCurrent.
Any manufacturer who wants to be included in the gear guide is invited, at no cost. For inclusion in the gear guide, simply send photos and/or videos, as well as brief product descriptions in an electronic format to [email protected]. In-depth tests and reviews require a query and actual product (with return shipping included); details can be provided by E-mailing [email protected].
We are very proud of the work to date, because we think it provides a service to angling consumers, as well as manufacturers and retailers. We hope you share this link http://midcurrent.com/gear/2012-fly-fishing-gear-guide/ with your customers.
We also understand this is a “work in process,” so we invite your feedback by way of comment on the site, as well as your E-mailed suggestions and input.
