BY MIKE STEVENS
SAN CLEMENTE– As someone who prides himself to this day on using quality gear at a tangible price rather than simply getting my mitts on super high-end stuff most anglers don’t use, I still will dial it up a notch for products that fill a specific role I deem worthy of paying a little extra for. It’s kind of an extension of the old never-buy-cheap-line adage. That’s good advice for anyone who fishes, but other stuff can vary from angler to angler as far as what “department” gets top-shelf attention.
For me, hooded sweatshirts have always been essential while fishing freshwater and saltwater, but few are built for on-the-water action, so I’ve always just used whatever hoodies in my closet are closest to retirement. When I ran into the AFTCO Reaper Sweatshirt at the 2024 ICAST Show, I knew that one was going to be immediately put into fish-hunting play.
It starts with the 100% Polyester Microfleece construction that delivers unmatched comfort, warmth, breathability and even stain resistance in a packable, non-bulky profile. I personally can speak to each of those features after multiple rounds of field testing including frigid fall mornings on Crowley Lake and overnight fishing seabass at the islands. On one of those outings aboard the Options, I wound up bear-hugging a fresh-caught yellowtail which predictably slimed my Reaper Sweatshirt, but I was stoked to discover how easily it wiped off with a wet towel compared to that situation playing out in a standard cotton hoodie.
The integrated face mask within the shock-cord-adjusted, oversized hood was clutch while running from spot to spot during the early morning chill on both Crowley and the Pacific. While the mask/hood situation is heavy duty, there is still enough “wiggle room” beneath all that to run a cap, sunglasses and – something I did when it was really cold – a standard gaiter-type mask under the built in one.
Prior to picking up my AFTCO Reaper Sweatshirt, I would pack my heaviest hoody for overnight-and-longer trips and for layering in the Sierra. That took up a lot of space in my minimalist duffle, but the Reaper folds up to half the width of those things and are even warmer with less bulk. From warmth to comfort, functionality and packability, it’s unmatched as far as I’m concerned, and it immediately was filed with my gear that goes on any-and-all fishing trips.
To check out the whole AFTCO Reaper lineup as well as everything else AFTCO has to offer, visit aftco.com.
