Every Cast

Even though the market for printed books about fly fishing and tying is probably in decline – as basically all other printed book markets are – there’s still a fairly steady stream of books published that concentrate on or circle around our shared pastime.

For a book lover like me that’s a comfort, and I’ll most likely keep supporting that market for as long as I live. I have a really soft spot for books printed on paper.

Back when this site first launched and started growing, books would regularly be offered to us for review. It was a natural part of publishing a book that the publisher reached out to relevant media, and offered a book from the pile that was set aside for that very purpose. It was simply a part of the expenses when publishing a new book: include a sum in the budget for extra books and postage for sending them to reviewers.

That’s not the case anymore. Both the books themselves, the postage and various tariffs and customs fees has made it very expensive for the publishers.
So nowadays I buy a far majority of the books reviewed here.

But it still happens that both publishers and authors contact me and offer a book for review, and I’m very grateful for that! Thanks to those who still give the media a bit of attention.

One of them is author Stephen Sautner who has published several books on fishing, and has such titles as “A Cast in the Woods” and “Fish On, Fish Off” under his belt. So his most recent book “Every Cast” is not his first. He dropped me a mail with an offer for a review copy, and generously mailed me the book.

It consists of a large number of essays – about 60 short stories, actually – some previously published and some new. Sautner also writes for The New York Times, The FlyFish Journal, The Drake, Hatch, Anglers Journal and other publications.

The stories aren’t long – many just a couple of pages – but they are perfectly sized bites, and one or a couple can mostly be read in a few minutes.

Sautner’s stories tell about his own fishing. He is an omnipotent angler, doing fly and spin fishing in lakes, ocean and streams, so it’s not fly fishing only, which shouldn’t take anything away from it. I am personally a mixed user like the author, and enjoy the variation.

Sautner’s writing style is sharp and witty with a good dose of self-irony and a healthily distanced view on the fishing community – its habits, its rituals, its tropes, its people – which he observes with an outsider’s fascination and wonder, even though very obviously being a part of it himself.

The book is divided into “themed” parts, each containing stories focused on similar subjects like “Part II – In Home Waters”, which has the intro quote “I don’t want you pacing around here all day. Get out and fish somewhere – My wife, last week”.
Or “Part V – Salty”, quoting the author’s mother on the intro page: “What does the tide have to do with missing your cousin’s wedding?”.

What does the tide have to do with missing your cousin’s wedding?

These small quotes illustrate the tone quite well. It’s a book that will have you chuckle quite often in recognition of the situations and the people that the author meets. Most of us have been there, or can at least easily imagine being there.

There are also more philosophical stories, which focus on or ponder about relevant subjects like fishing for stocked fish, mentoring children or fishing striper blitzes.

As already mentioned the stories are short, and written in a fluent and easy-to-read manner, which doesn’t require much effort to digest – and that’s meant in a very positive way!

There are a number of small B/W drawings and vignettes by Dave Taft spread out in the book. Each section cover has one, and some stories have their own little illustration. The essay aren't illustrated as such, but the drawings give a nice variation in the book's flow.

Section cover pages

Dave Taft/Stephen Sautner

I have read the entire book in a quite short span, simply picking it up and reading the next story or two, and then left it again, only to pick it up later the same day and taking in another bit, like just before going to sleep.

It’s perfect to consume in that manner, and will leave you with both a smile on your lips and an urge to go fishing as soon as possible.