Customer Rating:  
Summary: Enjoying Life on the Water
Comment: Marlin is a magazine for outdoor enthusiasts with coverage devoted to fishing, power boating, sailing, tournaments, festivals, and other items of interest to those who love fishing and water activities in general. I have been a subscriber to this magazine for about 6 months now and it has offered some surprises, starting with the title. The name of the magazine, Marlin, might fool some potential readers into thinking that this is strictly a deep sea fishing magazine. I always thought it was nothing more than a fishing publication, which is why I never gave it a second look. But now, I know that this is not really the case. Fishing stories and fishing merchandise do comprise a large number of the pages of each issue. But there are also articles about boating, traveling, competitive water events, and other activities. I have found that, even though I do fish on occasion, I enjoy the other areas of the magazine a little bit more.
Marlin devotes a good amount of its pages to fishing. It has the name "Marlin" only as a way to emphasize the fishing aspect of the magazine. But all sorts of fishing are covered in this magazine- not just the deep sea, marlin variety. The articles include footage and stories from all over the world. One page might talk about fishing for small types of fish from a river bank in a state park. Another article could talk about catching larger oceanic game off the shores of Martha's Vineyard. Some of the stories are more personal, with families sharing their love of living the life at sea. Others are more generic and factual, with the journalist sticking to the known facts and making the article more educational in nature.
Contributors to Marlin include some regular writers and occasional guest journalists. To help add to the authenticity of the articles, it is common to find articles credited to captains and other individuals who are considered experts in their fields. Often, these people can present a unique perspective that cannot be obtained through general journalists. Many of these writers have spent endless days at sea, captaining vessels and engaging in serious fishing. They seem like they know what they are talking about.
Marlin is limited in its appeal in spite of its attempt to cover a broad base of water activities. Fishermen, sailing enthusiasts, and lovers of motor boating will enjoy it best and those who enjoy traveling to coastal areas might like it, too. I think it's a decent magazine, but it probably isn't one that I would subscribe to again. It has some good articles and colorful photos- enough to give it a recommendation- but I have found other magazines that cover boating and aquatic activities with more finesse and they offer more appealing stories. It's the type of magazine one should sample for free first before committing to a full- year subscription.
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