It seems the September issue of Pacific Fishing magazine, above, put editor Don McManman in the doghouse.
Dozens of readers lodged complaints about the cover photo showing Lucky, a dog, trying to "pick" a salmon from a Bristol Bay setnet.
Bristol Bay fishermen have worked hard to raise the quality of their product in recent years, and the cover casts the bay in a bad light, the readers said. As one reader put it, "this cover photo is just bad for business."
McManman, in the October issue just out, writes that "if you're upset with the cover, I apologize."
OK, Deckboss can certainly understand how Bristol Bay producers might cringe at an image of a dog chomping on what might end up as somebody's dinner. How does that help sell the bay's millions of tasty sockeye?
But from a journalistic standpoint, I like the photo. It makes for a fun, sassy cover.
The critics should remember that Pacific Fishing, and Deckboss, aren't mere marketing tools for industry. If they were, I doubt you'd bother reading them.
So, what's your opinion of the cover?
Full disclosure: I've been a contributing writer for Pacific Fishing magazine for many years.
