I am middle-aged but I have grasped technology, I welcome it with open arms. I have taught myself the wonders of social media, I help manage a few business Facebook pages and I’m just about to launch an E-Store for my business. Basically I am reasonably tech savvy, a slightly greying techy of sorts.
A year or so ago when Philip Weigall announced that he and the FlyStream team were launching an on-line digital magazine I was over the moon for two reasons. 1/ Phil was back in the flyfishing magazine business (after a short sabbatical) and 2/ the new mag, FlyStream would be ON LINE !!!! Welcome to the 21st century! (I was also told that they would eventually release a hard copy annual. Great, but that would be in 12 months – too far ahead to really give much thought.)
Well, the hard copy has arrived and as much as I love the immediacy, the convenience and the portability of the digital version, holding the hard copy in my hands has highlighted to me that I may be up to speed with the IT age, but I’m still a little old-fashioned and love the look and feel of print. FlyStream have really achieved the best of both worlds here and that’s the way it should be.
About FlyStream Annual 2014/15
The team at FlyStream have been very clever. The annual is not like a magazine and it’s not really a book. It is quite unique in its size and format and quite hefty (thick) so lots of content.
Being a creative person, I tend to hone in on aesthetics. For something to appeal to me my senses need to be stimulated: an item must be practical but it also must connect emotionally. The first thing that struck me about the annual was its great format as mentioned but also the choice of a matt finish and its earthy feel. I work in the fashion industry which can be full of gloss and bling. I passed the magazine around to my all female staff and asked for their opinion. They all replied, beautiful, earthy, real…can I read it? (‘Not before me!’ I replied.) To get that sort of reaction from fashionistas used to glossy Vogues and Marie Claires was something!
You can’t judge a book by its cover some of you will say. And quite right too; it may look good but what about its content, its substance, its soul? The FlyStream Annual is a true ‘annual’; a collection of features and columns from the past year of FlyStream online editions, chosen by Philip (and chosen with some difficulty according to his editorial)!
Having already read all the articles online previously, I thought, ‘Great book/magazine, a collector’s item that will sit proudly amongst my favourite books.’ I didn’t initially feel the urge to start reading, I was happy just looking at it. The strange (well maybe not so strange) thing is that as I started reading some of the articles, flicking through the pages, smelling the just dried ink and earthy paper, it was as if it was all completely NEW. Yes the words resonated but the experience was all 100% original. This annual has offered me a unique experience; an emotional connection and an insight into my own personality. Acceptance of what is new but a deep appreciation for tradition. (Sounds very fly fishy doesn’t it?) The digital version is like the super-sharp, super-light space age new graphite rod; the annual more like a finely crafted cane rod sitting next to a flask of 18 year old single malt.
Well done Philip and the FlyStream team. I really like what you are achieving. I will also throw in that the annual and everything else associated with FlyStream is 100% Australia made! Something else to be proud of.
