Quick Quip...

Going on a Fall Fishing Trip? Many anglers go on an angling excursion each fall in search of the 'big ones'. Make sure that if you're going out of province, state or country, that you get a copy of the local fishing regulations. Catch and Release laws, size and possession limits, and even the tackle you are allowed to use may be different than what you're accustomed to.

What's New...

After much gnashing of teeth, TFN is pleased to introduce The Fishing Network Federation, our on-line fishing club. The purpose of this club is not only to help pay for the TFN Website, but also to provide members with ways for them to make a difference in their lives and community by:

• supporting family fishing and related social activities;
• providing a means of outdoors education and experience for youths;
• safeguarding the local environment through community monitoring and action; and
• promoting and participating in local conservation and other charitable initiatives.

In addition, the TFN Federation provides anglers with productive on-line fishing interactivity through our Angler Hook-up, Fishing Log and Hot-Spots programs, and will (as of next week) provide member-only discounts on fishing travel and products.

When we asked how much TFN visitors like you were willing to pay for the resources offered by the web site if we had to charge, the average response was $18.50 (USD). We have set up the TFN Federation at a membership fee of lower than that figure, not to mention that we have substantially added to the TFN site since the above mentioned survey was taken.

We urge you to have a look at what the Federation has to offer, and join up if you can to support TFN in the immediate term by helping us purchase new servers to make all of the site faster and to upgrade software, and in the long term to support the ideals listed above.

Send in those stories! As I said before, "Ya can't win if ya don't play!". Check out the Hooked on Bass contest and send in your stories to win a free CD ROM filled with bassin' info, video, audio and diagrams from In-Fisherman™! And remember - we also have the same contest running for Walleye stories - you could win the Way Of The Walleye CD Rom!

Comment... It's TFN's Birthday Again!

Welcome to the 4th year of The Fishing Network! But rather than discuss the many changes that have occurred and additions that have been made over the last year, I'd like to take this space to discuss the future of TFN and this web site.

Last week (Oct 7, 1998) TFN launched the TFN Federation, an on-line fishing organization set up to bring together anglers from around the world in order to promote certain ideals (see above). The Federation is definitely the future of TFN. As the site grows and membership increases, we will be moving some of the current 'Free' part of TFN to 'Member-Only', but much of it will also remain free - I always said that TFN would always provide a free service for anglers.

In addition, we will be continually adding to the Member-Only part of the site, providing more resources and reference materials than available anywhere else on the Web.

Finally, beginning next week, TFN will introduce the first of the discounts we have arranged for our members - on everything fishing. We're currently working on our initial offering of travel destinations and products.

TFN was started in 1995 to become a hub of anglers on the Web. This hub has now become a community. I encourage you to join the Federation, help out TFN, and support the ideals of fun, fishing and family.

Until next issue...
(tight lines, get it wet, good fishin', see you on the water, etc., etc.).

Scott M. Binnie, Managing Editor