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EVERY CAST
Stephen Sautner
There is a Thoreau quote that haunts Stephen Sautner's latest collection: "Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." Sautner knows. He has always known. And in Every Cast: Chronicles of a Deeply Hooked Angler, he invites readers into the restless, waterlogged consciousness of someone for whom fishing is less a hobby than a way of organizing the world.
Gathering more than 60 essays — blending previously published work with more than a dozen new stories — the book roams from fly fishing for trout, salmon, and bonefish to surfcasting for striped bass and ice fishing for perch. It is a generous, wide-ranging collection, and its breadth is its greatest strength. With so many pieces assembled under one roof, the reader is treated to a truly expansive journey.
Sautner casts and writes with equal enthusiasm, whether stalking bonefish on a lonely Bahamian flat or chasing schools of striped bass on a beach crowded with fellow anglers. His range as a writer mirrors his range as an angler: he is as comfortable conjuring the hush of a trout stream at dawn as he is capturing the chaotic camaraderie of surf fishing from a crowded New Jersey beach. The prose is clean and unadorned, shaped by years of journalism, yet it carries a quiet lyricism that lifts the best essays well above the genre's usual preoccupations with technique and trophy counts.
What distinguishes Every Cast from the shelf of competent fishing memoirs is Sautner's willingness to be present to the whole experience — not just the catch. His stories are not only about angling adventure, but also what can happen between casts: dealing with a surly fishing guide, insect hatches declining on a favorite stream, even witnessing a drowning on a river. These darker, more unexpected moments give the collection its emotional weight. Sautner is honest about failure, about the passage of time, about friends who no longer appear on the water. The essays remembering lost fishing companions are among the most affecting in the book, lending Every Cast an elegiac undercurrent that runs beneath all the comedy and adventure.
Sautner's insightful, sometimes poignant, and often humorous observations have been refined over three decades of writing for publications including The New York Times, The FlyFish Journal, and The Drake. That experience shows. The pacing is sure-handed, the anecdotes well-shaped, and the humor arrives naturally rather than being performed. He is the rare outdoor writer who can make you laugh on one page and grow genuinely melancholy on the next.
Ultimately, Every Cast is a book about devotion — to water, to wildness, to the stubborn ritual of returning again and again to places that offer no guarantees. Anglers will find it deeply familiar; non-anglers will find, perhaps to their surprise, that it speaks to something universal about the things we pursue and why we pursue them. Sautner has earned his reputation as one of the finest writers working in this tradition, and Every Cast cements it.
GRUNDENS
Turbulence
insulated hoodie
Grunden's Turbulence insulated hoodie is a standout garment. A 5-month testing phase proved it to be a thoughtfully engineered garment that combines European manufacturing excellence with features designed for those who work and play in very cold environments. It’s also very light and compact, making it an ideal boat accessory and perfect for those out-of-the-way trips where backpack real estate comes at a premium.
The star of the show is the 800-gram G-Loft insulation, and it’s not just marketing fluff; you can feel the difference the moment temperatures start to plunge. The highly breathable insulation provides exceptional warmth without the bulk and weight that typically comes with high-gram insulation, it also allows for a good range of motion.
The wind-proof layer is a game-changer. Wind chill can make even moderately cold temperatures feel bone-chilling, but the hoodie effectively blocks wind penetration. Combined with the substantial insulation, you're getting comprehensive protection against the elements that goes well beyond what typical hoodies offer.
European manufacturing brings a level of quality control and attention to detail that's immediately apparent. The construction is clean, the stitching is precise, and every fabric panel is purposeful. The garment was designed by people who understand what cold-weather gear needs to accomplish.
The scuba fit insulated hood deserves special mention. It fits snugly around your head and face without feeling restrictive, providing excellent coverage and warmth retention. Unlike loose hoods that let cold air sneak in, this design actually seals in heat where you need it most - around your head and neck.
Practical details make daily use a pleasure. The snug cuffs feature abrasion-resistant panels that hold up to repeated wear and contact with rough surfaces, while the zippered hand-warmer pockets provide a secure, warm refuge for cold hands. The pockets are positioned perfectly and the zippers operate smoothly, even with gloved hands.
Bonus: what also sets this hoodie apart is its commercial-grade, anti-snag design. There are no exposed cords or zipper pulls to catch on equipment, tools, or boat hardware. The thoughtful design means you can move freely without worrying about snagging or damaging the garment.
The overall fit is excellent - neither too tight nor too loose. It accommodates layering when needed but doesn't look baggy when worn over just a shirt. The proportions are also well-considered for real-world use.
Grunden's insulated hoodie is an excellent investment in cold-weather comfort and protection. The European craftsmanship, premium G-Loft insulation, wind-proof construction, and commercial-grade features combine to create a hoodie that outperforms nearly everything else in its category. If you need reliable warmth and durability in harsh conditions, this hoodie delivers.
Highly recommended.
ECHO
Dry Series fly line
The Echo Dry Series is a thoughtful approach to dry fly presentation, delivering performance that punches well above its price point. We tested the WF-3-F.
Taper Design
Echo engineered the Dry Series with a refined weight-forward taper that prioritizes delicacy over distance. The front taper extends a generous 14.5’, longer than many competing lines, allowing for very gentle turnover and softer presentations. This extended taper excels when protecting fine tippets and presenting size small-to-medium dry flies to picky trout. The 38.5’ head provides sufficient mass for loading modern fast-action rods while maintaining the control needed for technical water.
What distinguishes this taper is its progression. Rather than an aggressive transition from thick running line to heavy belly, Echo employs a gradual power transfer that feels intuitive throughout the casting stroke. This design attribute shines during the final delivery, where the leader unfurls with minimal disturbance - critical when targeting fish in undisturbed water.
Precision and Presentation
The Dry Series allows you to attain accuracy at the range where most dry fly fishing takes place: 20’ - 40’. The line loads quickly, allowing you to capitalize on brief feeding windows. I found myself consistently placing flies within a one-foot radius, even in light crosswinds that would typically compromise lesser lines.
Presentation quality stands as this line's defining characteristic. The line jacket reduces surface friction, enabling longer drag-free drifts. Mends execute cleanly without excessive disturbance, and the line lifts from the water with little effort and considerably less disturbance than expected, even for a 3wt line. When approaching spooky fish in clear water, these qualities translate to more hookups.
The jacket material is also well balanced - supple enough to avoid memory coils in cold water, yet firm enough to shoot cleanly through guides. Distance casting, while not this line's primary mission, remains respectable, 40’ to 45’ presentations are achievable, if necessary, though the line shines at closer ranges.
The Echo Dry Series delivers where it matters most: putting flies exactly where you want them, softly enough to fool educated fish. We tested the 3-weight in various conditions, and concluded that precision casting needn't require a premium investment.
Summed up: this line is an outstanding value for technical dry fly fishing.
Highly recommended.
