About Der Raubfisch

Der Raubfisch

Der Raubfisch is a German special-interest magazine for predator anglers, published six times a year by Paul Parey Zeitschriftenverlag in Singhofen in the Taunus region of Rhineland-Palatinate. As the name suggests, it is devoted entirely to fishing for predatory species such as pike, zander (pikeperch), perch and catfish, with a strong emphasis on modern spin fishing with artificial lures. The magazine combines hands-on technique articles, water and venue reports, and extensive tackle tests with a lively digital presence built around its website, a YouTube channel and the publisher's video platform. It is the younger, technique-focused sibling of Fisch und Fang, Germany's oldest angling magazine, which is published by the same house.

Overview

Der Raubfisch occupies a clearly defined niche within the German angling press: while general fishing magazines cover everything from coarse fishing to fly fishing and sea angling, Der Raubfisch speaks exclusively to anglers who hunt predatory fish. Its readers are predominantly active spin anglers who fish with lures for pike, zander, perch, asp and catfish in rivers, lakes and reservoirs across Germany and neighbouring countries. The editorial tone is practical and enthusiastic, written by anglers for anglers, with detailed how-to content rather than armchair entertainment.

The magazine appears six times a year, a bimonthly rhythm that fits the seasonal nature of predator fishing, with issues timed to the key phases of the angling year such as the spring pike season, summer perch fishing and the autumn and winter zander campaigns. Each issue mixes technique features, venue portraits, tackle reviews and long-term equipment tests, giving readers both inspiration for their next trip and concrete guidance on methods and gear.

The publisher, Paul Parey Zeitschriftenverlag GmbH, is one of the traditional names in German hunting, fishing and nature publishing, based in Singhofen in the Taunus hills. The company also publishes Fisch und Fang, founded in 1960 and described by the publisher as Germany's oldest angling magazine, as well as titles for hunters. This portfolio gives Der Raubfisch access to shared editorial resources, a joint subscription service and the publisher's e-commerce and video infrastructure.

Digitally, the magazine is one of the more active titles in the German angling press. Its website raubfisch.de publishes news, current-issue previews and long-term tackle tests; its YouTube channel produces video formats such as the One-Lure-Challenge, in which well-known anglers compete under self-imposed restrictions; and the publisher's video portal offers streaming content linked to the magazine's topics. Subscriptions are managed through the publisher's own subscription service, and single issues and special editions are sold through the publisher's online shop.

History

Der Raubfisch was created by Paul Parey Zeitschriftenverlag as a spin-off from its flagship angling title Fisch und Fang, responding to the rapid growth of modern lure fishing in Germany. From the 1990s onward, spin fishing with soft plastic lures, jerkbaits and other artificial baits developed from a niche technique into one of the most popular forms of angling in the country, driven by new tackle technology, the rise of catch-and-release-oriented sport fishing and a young, media-savvy generation of anglers. The publisher recognised that this audience wanted a magazine devoted entirely to their passion rather than sharing space with coarse fishing, carp fishing and sea angling.

The magazine established itself quickly in this segment and has appeared continuously in its bimonthly rhythm, with six issues per year documented across its publishing history. Like its sister publication, it is produced in Singhofen, the traditional seat of the Paul Parey publishing house in the Taunus region, and it shares the publisher's subscription and distribution infrastructure.

Over the years, Der Raubfisch has expanded beyond the printed page. The launch of the publisher's video portal gave the magazine a streaming outlet for films tied to its topics, replacing the DVDs that were once bundled with issues, a transition the whole Parey angling portfolio made around 2020. The magazine's YouTube channel has grown into a significant platform in its own right, with formats that go beyond simple tackle promotion and build a community around the magazine's brand. Special editions on single species or techniques, sold through the publisher's shop, have added a further pillar to the portfolio.

Coverage and Content

The editorial core of Der Raubfisch is technique. Feature articles dissect the methods of modern predator fishing in detail: how to work a soft plastic lure for zander on a river in winter, which retrieves trigger pike in weedy lakes, how to find perch in harbours and canals, or how to approach catfish in large rivers. These articles are typically written by experienced anglers and guides who fish the venues themselves, and they combine step-by-step instruction with an understanding of fish behaviour, water conditions and seasonal patterns.

Venue reports form the second pillar. The magazine portrays fishing waters in Germany and abroad, from lowland rivers and reservoirs to Scandinavian pike waters and Dutch predator venues, giving readers practical information on access, boat rental, accommodation and the best seasons. Tackle coverage is the third pillar: new rods, reels, lures and accessories are presented and tested, including long-term tests (Dauertests) in which equipment is fished hard over extended periods before a verdict is published. These tests are a trusted resource for readers making purchasing decisions in a tackle market flooded with new products.

The magazine also publishes special editions (Sonderhefte) devoted to single topics, such as the behaviour and capture of zander, which are sold separately through the publisher's shop alongside branded merchandise and edition products. The tone throughout is that of experienced practitioners sharing knowledge: the magazine assumes its readers already fish and want to fish better, rather than trying to recruit beginners, though technique articles are written accessibly enough for ambitious newcomers to follow.

Organization and Ownership

Der Raubfisch is published by Paul Parey Zeitschriftenverlag GmbH, based in Singhofen in the Taunus region of Rhineland-Palatinate. The Paul Parey name is one of the oldest in German specialist publishing for hunting, fishing, forestry and nature, and the Zeitschriftenverlag is the magazine arm of this tradition. The company publishes a portfolio of angling and hunting titles, with Fisch und Fang as the flagship angling magazine and Der Raubfisch as its predator-fishing specialist.

The editorial team works from Singhofen, supported by a network of freelance authors, photographers and angling experts who contribute technique articles and venue reports. The publisher operates its own subscription service and online shop, which handle subscriptions, single-issue sales and special editions for the whole angling portfolio. Advertising comes primarily from the fishing tackle industry, including major international brands as well as German distributors and retailers, and is presented in the standard separation from editorial content.

The names of the current editor-in-chief and editorial staff are not confirmed in publicly accessible sources, so no personal attribution is made here. What is publicly documented is the institutional structure: a traditional specialist publisher with its own subscription, e-commerce and video infrastructure, serving a clearly defined community of predator anglers.

Digital Presence

The magazine's website at raubfisch.de functions as a news and service portal, publishing angling news, previews of the current issue, long-term tackle tests and video content. The site is updated continuously between print issues, with news items on industry developments, events and new products keeping the brand present in readers' daily media diet.

Video is a central pillar of the digital strategy. The magazine runs its own YouTube channel under the name derraubfisch, producing formats such as the One-Lure-Challenge, in which well-known predator anglers compete over several days with self-imposed lure restrictions, and presenting new tackle in action. The channel also cross-promotes the publisher's video portal, where longer films linked to the magazine's topics can be streamed. On social media, the magazine is active on Facebook and Instagram, where it shares catch photos, behind-the-scenes material, issue teasers and community content.

Subscriptions can be taken out through the publisher's subscription service, and single issues, special editions and branded products are sold through the publisher's online shop. The integration of print, webshop, video and social media makes Der Raubfisch one of the more digitally developed titles in the German specialist angling press, with each channel feeding the others and the print magazine remaining the editorial flagship.