This is a long shot, but as the old sayings go, �Nothing ventured, nothing gained,� and �It can�t hurt to ask.�
I�m looking for magazine back issues, specifically Texas Fisherman magazine from 1979 through 1990, the short-lived Texas Saltwater Magazine (January � December 1990) and Texas Fish & Game magazine, from 1994 through 2001.
These, along with my CCA TIDE magazines from July of �79 through January of 1981 (then the GCCA �Gulf Tide�) and my numerous newspaper clippings from the Houston Post were claimed by the storm surge of Hurricane Ike.
It was bad enough that the flood insurance policy that we paid almost a grand for was worthless, and that roughly 80 percent of the personal property Liz and I owned fell prey to the storm (including 15 years of equity in a destroyed home in Seabrook). But, as anyone who has been there will tell you, after the gratitude for being alive settles in, the grimly permanent nature of things irreplaceable � family heirlooms, photo albums, and in my case, a lifetime of work � becomes relentlessly real.
My mother, God bless her, just gave me a box with some back issues of all of the above, but only a small percentage. It made me realize how very much I would like to have whatever I can recover of my past in print ... especially those old copies of Texas Fisherman. Needless to say, I�m willing to pay (or, if you prefer, swap you out for a nice fishing rod and various other lures or accessories), and cover postage/shipping as well.
I realize, again, this is a long shot. But if there is a place to go for it, it�s TFF. Because if there is an audience that actually looks out for its own, it�s the subscribers to Texas Fishing Forum.
Thanks for your time, and for maybe asking around a bit among friends with enough years behind them to possibly still possess a few of these publications. Finding and re-discovering just some of these old magazines would mean a great deal to this old bait-chunker.
It was like losing a lifetime diary, literal pieces of my past and priceless imprints of unforgettable people and places from all over North and Central America.
Hope everyone enjoys a great Memorial Day while taking the time to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our freedom.
With sincere appreciation �
Boz

Not sure of the years but I have some TF&G mags in a closet. I will check the dates and get back to you. " and the wife says why do you keep all this stuff its old" You never know.

Larry,

Was the Texas Fisherman in periodical form or a magazine? I saved those for years, but must have discarded them. I do have "Fishing Facts" magazine from 1978 to 1981 if you would like them. They are similar to "In-Fisherman" and focus on the fishing up North.

I found a copy of "Spoonplugging" by E.L. "Buck" Perry 1973 edition. I want to keep it though. I am sure his method would work today and I even have some of his lures. Never did try them though.
It says he is or was "the worlds greatest fishermen". I may be mistaken, but a few guys on Lake Lewisville claim that title now.

There is one "Texas Sportsman" from 1985 and has a good article on Lewisville fishing.

There is one complete set of Bass Pro Shop catalogs fron 1975 to the present. One year is missing from the mid 70's. It was not until about 1995 that they went online. You had to call them or mail in your order. How quaint!

Also, There are copies of Barlow's Tackle catalogs from the early 1980's.

The only thing I will part with is the Fishing facts magazine. They are yours just for the postage.

Sorry about Ike. What year was that?

Thanks so much for the kindness. What I am hoping to find is the old tabloid-style Texas Fisherman, as well as the standard "slick" issues that followed ... 1979 - 1987 time frame, when I was editor and publisher. It's a reasonable question to ask why I want them. Those stories were written, at first, on a manual typewriter, then a (high-tech) IBM selectric, then a Tandy TRS-80 with phone cups to access a modem, and so one. As for the photos, there were hundreds of them ... black and white negative and color slide images (lost to the storm surge).
Most of this stuff is gone, as I have no backups of the original manuscripts/copy except what is in a few issues that my mother still had ... and they contain life stories, many about my dad, who died in 1991, and a great many old friends, both living and deceased. Hurricane Ike hit us September 13, 2008 ... three days before Lehman Brothers fell and the stock and real estate markets began their free-fall. Soon as that happened, the hurricane was old news ... and there was still water in my house. Not happy memories there ... but there are a great many happy memories in those old Texas Fisherman magazines, if only I can find them.
God bless you guys for getting back with me. Keep an ear open for me, and know that if there is ever anything I can do for you, all you gotta do is drop me a note.

Gratefully,

Larry