1 00:00:03,825 --> 00:00:06,725 Marvin: Hey folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of the Articulate Fly, 2 00:00:06,845 --> 00:00:10,045 Marvin: and we're back with another Casting Angles with Mack Brown. How are you, Mack? 3 00:00:11,425 --> 00:00:13,065 Mac: I'm doing great. How are you doing, Marvin? 4 00:00:13,225 --> 00:00:16,565 Marvin: As always, trying to stay out of trouble. You know, it's interesting. 5 00:00:16,685 --> 00:00:20,265 Marvin: You had a great weekend. Your oldest son graduated from high school this past weekend. 6 00:00:21,545 --> 00:00:27,285 Mac: Yeah, that was a big, that was a fun time. I think that's the first time probably 7 00:00:27,285 --> 00:00:29,285 Mac: since Jennifer and I've been married with all the 8 00:00:29,325 --> 00:00:35,165 Mac: family on her side and my side was all up here in the great town of Bryson City 9 00:00:35,165 --> 00:00:40,325 Mac: and we had a big cookout on the deck and celebrating that so that was a lot of fun. 10 00:00:40,665 --> 00:00:44,325 Marvin: Yeah it's interesting you know so that's a you know transition to summer I know 11 00:00:44,325 --> 00:00:48,765 Marvin: you were telling me Duncan is working on Deep Creek with the tubers and Connor's 12 00:00:48,765 --> 00:00:52,285 Marvin: down in Alabama at a camp but you know the other thing that's happened is you 13 00:00:52,285 --> 00:00:58,265 Marvin: know kind of that traditional kind of fall winter spring delayed harvest is over in North Carolina. 14 00:00:58,405 --> 00:01:01,045 Marvin: And so it's maybe a time to think about maybe some other options. 15 00:01:02,465 --> 00:01:06,205 Mac: Oh yeah, there's a lot of other good options. You know, this time of year, 16 00:01:06,285 --> 00:01:10,985 Mac: I like going like the Little Tennessee or the Pigeon. There's a lot of other 17 00:01:10,985 --> 00:01:16,285 Mac: great places with like Brim and Smallmouth and farm ponds. 18 00:01:16,465 --> 00:01:19,905 Mac: We don't have that many ponds here, but like where I grew up in East Tennessee, 19 00:01:20,125 --> 00:01:22,325 Mac: there was literally probably a hundred in Greene County. 20 00:01:22,685 --> 00:01:25,625 Mac: I mean, great farm ponds, some of them two and three acres big. 21 00:01:25,625 --> 00:01:30,525 Mac: And of course, that was a big part of fly fishing growing up and would get into 22 00:01:30,525 --> 00:01:35,665 Mac: summer, would be going to the farm ponds a lot and chasing bass and brim and 23 00:01:35,665 --> 00:01:37,965 Mac: catfish and all kinds of stuff on the farm ponds. 24 00:01:38,165 --> 00:01:41,085 Mac: And, you know, catfish are a lot of fun this time of year too, 25 00:01:41,205 --> 00:01:45,665 Mac: because a lot of people think catfish, you know, throwing bait and fishing down deep. 26 00:01:45,825 --> 00:01:51,185 Mac: But catfish until they're about 17, 18 inches are insectivores, 27 00:01:51,305 --> 00:01:57,065 Mac: just like a trout. So they're beautiful, smooth, same size as a trout. 28 00:01:57,185 --> 00:02:01,065 Mac: And they eat in, you know, you go down to Little Tennessee and throw a single 29 00:02:01,065 --> 00:02:04,425 Mac: dry fly and catch all kinds of catfish that come up and eat it just like a trout. 30 00:02:04,545 --> 00:02:09,985 Mac: So there's a lot of other things to go after for sure now that the D.H. is gone. 31 00:02:11,508 --> 00:02:15,628 Mac: Kind of opened up and then of course we still got a lot of high elevation streams 32 00:02:15,628 --> 00:02:21,268 Mac: if they want to chase blue line and deep trout but i think i don't know it's 33 00:02:21,268 --> 00:02:24,748 Mac: a lot of fun still the water the water temp still in great condition here but 34 00:02:24,748 --> 00:02:27,028 Mac: i've been on deep creek a lot this last week and, 35 00:02:27,568 --> 00:02:30,848 Mac: and we're over at nolan creek and those creeks are still plenty cold. 36 00:02:32,028 --> 00:02:34,888 Marvin: Yeah it's interesting i mean i guess i would say you know if you were kind of 37 00:02:34,888 --> 00:02:38,388 Marvin: trying to figure it out i would say try to you know fish up on the blue lines 38 00:02:38,388 --> 00:02:40,648 Marvin: until maybe there's a water problem later in the summer. 39 00:02:40,908 --> 00:02:45,488 Marvin: And then the great thing about fishing farm ponds and lakes for bass and brim 40 00:02:45,488 --> 00:02:48,948 Marvin: and catfish is you can kind of beat the heat because you either get up really 41 00:02:48,948 --> 00:02:53,968 Marvin: early in the morning and you're done about 11 o'clock or you go fish that last like hour and a half, 42 00:02:54,128 --> 00:02:56,408 Marvin: two hours of sunlight at the day. 43 00:02:56,448 --> 00:02:59,228 Marvin: And, you know, it makes it a little bit easier to kind of fit in with all the 44 00:02:59,228 --> 00:03:00,208 Marvin: other stuff we do in the summertime. 45 00:03:01,668 --> 00:03:05,588 Mac: That's right. Now I'm hoping we're going to get, I've been crossing my fingers, 46 00:03:05,688 --> 00:03:08,788 Mac: we're going to get these epic cicada hatches that they're 47 00:03:08,788 --> 00:03:11,788 Mac: having all over the country but we still have yet 48 00:03:11,788 --> 00:03:14,568 Mac: to see a one like on where i live in 49 00:03:14,568 --> 00:03:17,488 Mac: the valley at deep creek i haven't heard one or seen 50 00:03:17,488 --> 00:03:20,528 Mac: a shock or anything but they're definitely happening in a lot of places and 51 00:03:20,528 --> 00:03:26,288 Mac: uh my aunt sent a photo from where i grew up in the ozarks and they're literally 52 00:03:26,288 --> 00:03:30,268 Mac: the husker like hundreds of thousands sitting around the bases of trees so i 53 00:03:30,268 --> 00:03:34,228 Mac: mean certain places are getting them and if you happen to have that you know 54 00:03:34,228 --> 00:03:35,808 Mac: if you're having a big cicada activity, 55 00:03:36,568 --> 00:03:40,108 Mac: there's some really good stuff you can do with that i mean we're just not getting 56 00:03:40,108 --> 00:03:44,888 Mac: it here but throwing cicada patterns on those same warm water cold water rivers 57 00:03:44,888 --> 00:03:48,968 Mac: whatever you got whatever kind of water you got that's going to be definitely 58 00:03:48,968 --> 00:03:52,448 Mac: preyed upon from a lot of different species yeah. 59 00:03:52,448 --> 00:03:55,768 Marvin: It's interesting because you know down here the periodics uh have pretty much 60 00:03:55,768 --> 00:03:59,388 Marvin: run their course and we're probably i would guess about a month away probably 61 00:03:59,388 --> 00:04:02,968 Marvin: from getting our you know normal annuals which is you know kind of what will 62 00:04:02,968 --> 00:04:06,988 Marvin: be the game kind of where i grew up in central virginia too but uh but yeah 63 00:04:06,988 --> 00:04:10,928 Marvin: it's interesting to see fish move to uh to crush those cicadas if they have a chance. 64 00:04:12,339 --> 00:04:16,919 Mac: Oh, yeah. I keep thinking maybe we're going to get them. I keep waiting at night. 65 00:04:17,019 --> 00:04:22,039 Mac: We sit on the patio every night on the back deck and sit around the caveman 66 00:04:22,039 --> 00:04:23,939 Mac: television with the big bonfire pit. 67 00:04:24,459 --> 00:04:27,279 Mac: I mean, if they're here, you'd hear them, but we're just not hearing them. 68 00:04:27,939 --> 00:04:33,119 Mac: I don't think we have them here where I live, but maybe they're where some of the listeners live. 69 00:04:34,339 --> 00:04:39,499 Mac: That'd be a fun thing to have. I've got boxes and boxes of cicadas just stuck 70 00:04:39,499 --> 00:04:43,219 Mac: in here. I'm going to have to go somewhere where they're happening because I 71 00:04:43,219 --> 00:04:44,439 Mac: don't think they're going to happen here. 72 00:04:44,599 --> 00:04:48,759 Mac: I might go up to, I think they're probably happening up there in southern Virginia. 73 00:04:48,799 --> 00:04:50,519 Mac: I've heard reports of some friends 74 00:04:50,519 --> 00:04:53,619 Mac: up there that talked about having some pretty good cicada activity. 75 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,739 Mac: And I know up by Lake, by Hickory. 76 00:04:58,039 --> 00:05:05,079 Mac: What's the name of the lake that's on 40 as you're driving to Hickory? Is that Lake James? 77 00:05:06,379 --> 00:05:07,819 Mac: I don't know if they're having them. 78 00:05:08,119 --> 00:05:09,059 Marvin: Yeah, it might be. 79 00:05:11,259 --> 00:05:15,459 Marvin: Yeah, I'd have to think about that because it's not far enough east to be in the Pee Dee River chain. 80 00:05:15,699 --> 00:05:19,459 Marvin: But, yeah, I mean, they pretty much run their course here and around Greensboro 81 00:05:19,459 --> 00:05:22,299 Marvin: and kind of up into southwest Virginia because they've been out for, 82 00:05:22,399 --> 00:05:25,939 Marvin: you know, four to six weeks. And I think they only live about a month. 83 00:05:26,079 --> 00:05:28,539 Marvin: So, you know, if you figure they come out kind of over two weeks, 84 00:05:28,719 --> 00:05:33,139 Marvin: they pretty much kind of run their course. One thing I thought might be helpful 85 00:05:33,139 --> 00:05:40,019 Marvin: on the warm water front for folks, a lot of those bugs are pretty wind-resistant poppers. 86 00:05:40,059 --> 00:05:43,999 Marvin: Maybe talk to people a little bit about terminal tackle and technique. 87 00:05:44,219 --> 00:05:47,599 Marvin: I know one thing I do when I'm fishing poppers is I generally fish a pretty 88 00:05:47,599 --> 00:05:49,679 Marvin: short leader because it doesn't matter. 89 00:05:49,999 --> 00:05:52,939 Marvin: It helps those big bugs turn over a whole lot better. Sure. 90 00:05:53,892 --> 00:05:57,312 Mac: Oh, yeah. Yeah. And then the small poppers too, like you don't have to go to 91 00:05:57,312 --> 00:05:59,772 Mac: these massive big poppers. 92 00:05:59,792 --> 00:06:04,052 Mac: Like on the little Tennessee, we throw poppers a lot of the time that are half 93 00:06:04,052 --> 00:06:08,072 Mac: the length of your thumb, you know, just little small poppers with some rubber, 94 00:06:08,312 --> 00:06:12,212 Mac: like Matamex rubber on the sides, you know, make an X pattern and then have 95 00:06:12,212 --> 00:06:13,472 Mac: a little bit of marabou on the tail. 96 00:06:14,272 --> 00:06:18,852 Mac: And those are quick to tie and they're real durable. we throw a lot of those for, 97 00:06:20,052 --> 00:06:23,792 Mac: red eye bass and there's a lot of brim and there's a lot of catfish and smallmouth 98 00:06:23,792 --> 00:06:27,652 Mac: that'll eat those small poppers and that's really the better pattern size to 99 00:06:27,652 --> 00:06:31,712 Mac: throw as far as to see a lot of variety and different numbers of what's in there 100 00:06:31,712 --> 00:06:34,452 Mac: and when you start going to the really big stuff, 101 00:06:35,172 --> 00:06:38,552 Mac: in hopes of you know kind of like a lot of the big flies in the, 102 00:06:39,352 --> 00:06:42,572 Mac: streamer game then you're going to be a little more lonely throwing a lot more 103 00:06:42,572 --> 00:06:46,512 Mac: cast and if you catch one yeah it'll probably be a good fish but 104 00:06:46,732 --> 00:06:51,012 Mac: But as far as on trips and things, if you're taking people down, 105 00:06:51,032 --> 00:06:54,472 Mac: we try to stay on the smaller size stuff because they can see a lot more numbers 106 00:06:54,472 --> 00:06:58,972 Mac: of a wider variety of fish, carp included, like glass carp. 107 00:06:59,092 --> 00:07:01,412 Mac: And of course, those are a lot of fun on a popper. 108 00:07:02,112 --> 00:07:05,252 Marvin: Yeah. And I would say on the streamer front, I would keep it simple, 109 00:07:05,372 --> 00:07:08,992 Marvin: folks. I would say woolly boogers. I would say small finesse changers. 110 00:07:09,852 --> 00:07:16,352 Marvin: I'm a big fan of fish and CK bait fish. I think they're easy to tie and they're absolutely killer. 111 00:07:18,352 --> 00:07:21,232 Mac: Yeah that'd be that'd be a good choice up here that'd be 112 00:07:21,232 --> 00:07:24,012 Mac: a good choice all over and uh it's a lot 113 00:07:24,012 --> 00:07:27,092 Mac: of fun i mean it's just kind of a different season a different time to time 114 00:07:27,092 --> 00:07:31,032 Mac: to chase different you know i remember uh one of the trips marvin since we're 115 00:07:31,032 --> 00:07:35,952 Mac: talking about going after different you know seasonal time change i remember 116 00:07:35,952 --> 00:07:40,552 Mac: several years ago it's probably five or six years ago the kids we went out did 117 00:07:40,552 --> 00:07:43,532 Mac: two and a half weeks on the buffalo river in Arkansas. 118 00:07:44,332 --> 00:07:47,672 Mac: It's a wild, it's like a national wild scenic river. 119 00:07:48,412 --> 00:07:52,132 Mac: And it was, it was amazing. I mean, we had the kids and the cousins there from 120 00:07:52,132 --> 00:07:56,292 Mac: Colorado and it was just so, so much diversity. 121 00:07:56,552 --> 00:07:59,972 Mac: I mean, Whitlock, you know, when he lived up there in Mountain Home, 122 00:08:00,132 --> 00:08:04,392 Mac: that was, that was where he'd go the most to try a lot of his different patterns and things. 123 00:08:04,512 --> 00:08:09,592 Mac: But it's an amazing fishing on the Buffalo. I'd like to go back out and do that. 124 00:08:09,632 --> 00:08:12,332 Mac: I'd do that again in a second if I had the time to do it right now. 125 00:08:12,952 --> 00:08:16,992 Marvin: It's definitely your busy time of year, and I know you know that you're guiding, 126 00:08:17,172 --> 00:08:20,952 Marvin: and although there's a little bit of a transition there, but you also have the schools. 127 00:08:21,092 --> 00:08:23,792 Marvin: You want to let folks know about kind of the upcoming schools and kind of how 128 00:08:23,792 --> 00:08:24,652 Marvin: to get on your guide calendar? 129 00:08:26,772 --> 00:08:31,672 Mac: Yeah, the best way is probably on the URL at backgroundflyfish.com. 130 00:08:31,672 --> 00:08:35,352 Mac: And the next big thing probably is September. 131 00:08:36,092 --> 00:08:42,092 Mac: As far as the casting school, there's a couple of spots left open for that, 132 00:08:42,152 --> 00:08:44,372 Mac: and then it will be full, and we'll cap it off. 133 00:08:44,492 --> 00:08:48,172 Mac: And there's a couple of specialized things still going on right now with –, 134 00:08:49,687 --> 00:08:52,467 Mac: And different specialized type schools of, you know, dry fly, 135 00:08:52,567 --> 00:08:56,827 Mac: wet fly type schools that are weekend courses. And those have been a lot of fun. 136 00:08:57,027 --> 00:09:01,707 Mac: It's kind of fun to have, you know, eight, ten people a weekend to teach that 137 00:09:01,707 --> 00:09:03,907 Mac: too instead of just like one person at a time. 138 00:09:04,047 --> 00:09:08,027 Mac: It's just a little bit easier efficiency use of time, you know, 139 00:09:08,047 --> 00:09:11,207 Mac: because you're going to cover all the same thing, whether it's one or ten. 140 00:09:11,347 --> 00:09:12,307 Mac: So it might as well be ten. 141 00:09:13,227 --> 00:09:16,147 Marvin: Yeah. And so just to help folks, you know, if they want to do one of those, 142 00:09:16,167 --> 00:09:19,127 Marvin: I know, have you had your wet fly one yet? I know that was one that we've been 143 00:09:19,127 --> 00:09:21,147 Marvin: talking about the last couple of times we've been together. 144 00:09:22,607 --> 00:09:26,927 Mac: Yeah, yeah, we did that. And that went over real good. And it was a good time 145 00:09:26,927 --> 00:09:29,567 Mac: of year, still really cold, cold water. 146 00:09:29,887 --> 00:09:34,907 Mac: And yeah, I have to look, actually. I don't even, I've been so busy with like 147 00:09:34,907 --> 00:09:41,287 Mac: casting clinics and trips this last week before the graduation that it's bad 148 00:09:41,287 --> 00:09:44,567 Mac: when you have to look at your calendar yourself to find out when stuff is. 149 00:09:44,707 --> 00:09:47,987 Mac: But that's kind of where I'm at right now, Marvin. and I'm a little bit, 150 00:09:47,987 --> 00:09:53,527 Mac: just from the last week of all the festivities, I'm a little bit behind. 151 00:09:54,047 --> 00:09:57,447 Marvin: Yeah, it's all good. You either need to hire somebody to keep you straight or 152 00:09:57,447 --> 00:09:59,247 Marvin: maybe just have a monkey paw and get reset. 153 00:10:01,947 --> 00:10:03,687 Mac: Yeah, that'd probably be a good thing. 154 00:10:04,747 --> 00:10:08,467 Marvin: Well, listen, you know, folks, we have lots of opportunities kind of in the 155 00:10:08,467 --> 00:10:11,907 Marvin: southeast mid-Atlantic, you know, still time to chase trout, 156 00:10:12,387 --> 00:10:15,947 Marvin: lots of cool warm water stuff, smallmouth bites just going to keep getting better, 157 00:10:15,947 --> 00:10:17,447 Marvin: or particularly if you like fish in topwater. 158 00:10:17,847 --> 00:10:20,987 Marvin: So as I always say, you owe it to yourself to get out there and catch a few. 159 00:10:21,467 --> 00:10:23,667 Marvin: Tight lines, everybody. Tight lines, Mac. 160 00:10:24,847 --> 00:10:25,727 Mac: Tight lines, Marvin.