the whole show is way too exaggerated. it would be better if he just talked about the fish in a reasonable way, and then went fishing. no hype about how these fish cant wait to kill you, because, you know, they would rather just eat and swim.

I hope everyone reads the letters in the link, the paragraph of Wade's letter makes a solid point as well. I would like to see a response from animal planet on the mermaids piece.....I was made to watch that one and man.....oh man.....what an abomination...

I enjoy watching River Monsters for the simple fact that I get to learn about all of the fascinating fish species located throughout the world and not just my little slice of it. I also try not to read too deep into the show or for that fact most any show for the simple fact of ratings, any show or host will do what they need to obtain these ratings. I admire Jeremy Wade for the simple facts of his knowledge and angling skills along with the message he is conveying to the audience as much as I admire your skills as Fishing Editor of Field & Stream, giving us Hook Shots videos along with the many other tips and tricks along with some good reads in between. As far as the exchange of e-mails between Kyle and Jeremy, that only proves that they both have the same passion for fish and fishing, everything in between is simply ratings. I see Jeremy as a person who happened to be in the right place at the right time and is doing the best he can with what he has to convey his message to the masses, Kyle is no different except Kyle has a smaller audience.

While it is true that these fish probably wouldn't hesitate to take a piece of your leg, it is also true that while they can doesn't mean they will, just like a dog.

I happened across that piece over the weekend, and I have say I agree with both parties. The danger is way over-hyped in most instances (he did catch a real monster bull shark after all), but the host regularly swims around with toothy mothers that I certainly wouldn't want to do (specifically those alligator gar and the pool of piranha). As mentioned above, I don't think the problem is with Mr. Wade as much as it is with some marketing gurus at Animal Planet.

they both make great points and I enjoyed reading this.

I think Kyle Hill is an idiot. Clearly he has never watched the show otherwise he would notice 90%+ of the shows are recorded in extremely poor areas that do not have electricity let alone a freaking TV! All this is nonsense Jeremy Wade is a zoologist & biologist studying the creatures he is passionate about while telling stories of what these creatures are capable of. Also it's clear that Mr. Hill hasn't watched the television or read a book, magazine, newspaper, etc... in quite awhile otherwise he would understand to get peoples attention you must give whatever story your telling a overly exaggerated title to get the mindnumb public to read or watch. It's called marketing for the nimble of minds. This whole controversy if you'd call it one is Mr. Hill trying to get his name and magazine out there which is marketing in and of itself. There is nothing to this Mr. Wade's show is fascinating to some and a Hollywood movie (extremely exaggerated) to others. I personally like the show for the same reasons as many others have stated before me, but even this nimbleminded guy understands a lot of the verbiage is a marketing ploy by APL.

my favorite is the "killer torpedo." with a tarpon on the line he gets it stuck in a tree, and then he gets stuck in the tree trying to free it. The string of profanities that they had to edit out gave me hope that, maybe under all the hype and drama, a real angler still exists... although its no hook shots!

It's television folks, and not PBS so it has to make money to stay on the air. Yes some of it's over the top, but please feel free to point out the other fishing shows that are more inline with your tastes that are as widely seen or in a position to shine a positive light on fishing? I'd really like to know what they are so I can watch them too. Hint if average people don't find it to be entertaining then it's going to be buried on a specialty channel if it's on anywhere at all. If you are too good to watch then go back to fishing size 22 dry flies, nothing wet or bigger of course, and trashing everyone else out there for not fishing right and leave the rest of us to do our thing.

Most reasonable people (including fishermen) are able to suspend their disbelief enough to enjoy the show. Just because I don't believe arapaima and wels catfish are dangerous killer fish doesn't mean I can't enjoy watching Wade pursue and catch them. Saying you're "too into fishing" to enjoy this show is like a doctor or lawyer saying they're too into medicine or law practice to enjoy "ER" or "Law and Order." The authentic, real thing doesn't sell advertising or stay on the air, which is the goal - not to satisfy Cermele or Kyle Hill's need for full and complete authenticity without any fluff.

I'll admit when the show first came out I wasn't a fan but then on a rainy day a couple years ago I watched a marathon and I became a fan. Yes, there is the over-the-top drama which the wife loves to point out as we watch it, but so what. I have read up on Jeremy Wade and the guy is no joke! He is a very knowledgable biologist and angler and he has my respect. Even when Shakespear came out with the River Monsters rod kit for kids at Walmart I was like really?! But then my little nephew got the rod and he went fishing and continues to go fishing so you know what? I'm all for the River Monsters rod combo.
It's so easy anymore to just hate and dismiss stuff that at first take we don't like but far more often than not if you look at things with an open mind you will probably change your mind..

I respect it because it shows the guy losing fish, missing fish etc. and actually gets into the science of the creatures. Its way better than watching 4 days of fishing edited to make it look like 1 hour or to watch someone fish in a farm pond on Saturday mornings or a "hunting" show on a private food plot. If they set it up like a nat geo documentary, nobody would watch it.

I am like everyone else, I watch the show and complain. Last time some guy 100 years ago had his fishing line tied around his toe and was dragged into the water by a river monster and killed. Could this happen??? Well yeah, it depends how much he was drinking.

At least it gets people interested in fish, that is the whole idea in this world of instant gratification.

First off, I like river monsters. I think both sides have a good point. The fish Jeremy tends to go after are some of the more dangerous fish out there. He is not going to fish for bass in a show called "River Monsters". But on the other side, the good majority of these circumstances they describe in the show are very rare. They are not "monsters" who will attack anything and everything in the water. This shows in the fact that he has trouble in almost every episode catching the fish. But in Jeremy's defense, his releasing the fish after almost every show (with the only exception being to feed an entire village) shows that these fish are safe enough to be in the water. He is not saying for people to kill them in mass numbers.

One word- Goonch!

I think "River Monsters" is THE best fishing program on the air! Mr. Wade has definitely earned my respect plainly by being an angler who is also a scientist! To have another so-called scientist try to belittle him is so distasteful. Let's put a rod in Kyle Hill's hands and drop him in the Amazon or the Mekong, and see him back up his writting! The "Crocks" will have a feast!