The Articulate Fly

Episodes - Complete Archive (1,000+ Episodes)

S8, Ep 47: Central PA Fishing Forecast: George Costa's Summer Stream Insights
47
June 27, 2026

S8, Ep 47: Central PA Fishing Forecast: George Costa's Summer Stream Insights

Episode Overview George Costa, manager at TCO Fly Shop in State College, Pennsylvania, joins host Marvin Cash on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast for the latest Central PA Fishing Report as early summer conditions take hold across the region's limestone streams. Recorded in late June with the calendar almost at July, this report catches Central PA at an important seasonal juncture: stream temperatures have been favorable in the low 60s following a recent shot of rain, but a warming trend i...
Guest: George Costa
S8, Ep 46: Low Water, Big Bugs: Matt Reilly's Southwest Virginia Fishing Update
46
June 26, 2026

S8, Ep 46: Low Water, Big Bugs: Matt Reilly's Southwest Virginia Fishing Update

Episode Overview In this Southwest Virginia Fishing Report from The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with guide and writer Matt Reilly for a late-June conditions update covering the bug bite, streamer strategy and musky gear. With water running very low and clear across most drainages — and a near-94°F heat spike bearing down on the region for the Fourth of July — Matt explains why the current conditions are still worth fishing hard. Damselflies, dragonflies and ter...
Guest: Matt Reilly
S8, Ep 45: Casting Fundamentals: Mac Brown on the Art of the Reach Mend
45
June 24, 2026

S8, Ep 45: Casting Fundamentals: Mac Brown on the Art of the Reach Mend

Episode Overview In this Casting Angles episode of The Articulate Fly, Master Casting Instructor Mac Brown of Mac Brown Fly Fish joins host Marvin Cash for a focused deep-dive into the reach mend — one of fly fishing's most foundational presentation tools, and one Mac argues has been quietly undervalued since Doug Swisher introduced it to American fly fishing in 1971. The conversation serves as both a how-to for beginners and a useful recalibration for intermediate anglers who have been fishing ...
Guest: Mac Brown
S8, Ep 44: The Legacy of Classic Flies: Allen Rupp's Insights on Timeless Patterns
44
June 20, 2026

S8, Ep 44: The Legacy of Classic Flies: Allen Rupp's Insights on Timeless Patterns

Episode Overview The Articulate Fly host Marvin Cash sits down with fly tying guru Allen Rupp, founder of Fly on the Water and Dave Whitlock's hand-selected legacy tier, for a deep dive into the classic fly patterns that built modern fly fishing. Rupp traces his fly tying education back to childhood phone calls with Bob Clouser, in-person mentorship from Lefty Kreh and George Harvey, and decades spent learning directly from Dave Whitlock, explaining why patterns like the Clouser Minnow, the Half...
S8, Ep 43: Smallmouth Strategies and Seasonal Shifts: Captain Brian Shumaker's Pennsylvania Report
43
June 19, 2026

S8, Ep 43: Smallmouth Strategies and Seasonal Shifts: Captain Brian Shumaker's Pennsylvania Report

Episode Overview In this Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides for an early summer conditions update on the Susquehanna River system in central Pennsylvania. With late spawners still working through a post-spawn funk and a stretch of volatile weather keeping temperatures yo-yoing between the 70s and the low 90s, Shumaker explains why the region hasn't fully transitioned to topwa...
S8, Ep 42: Exploring Terrestrials and Summer Patterns: George Costa's Fishing Forecast
42
June 12, 2026

S8, Ep 42: Exploring Terrestrials and Summer Patterns: George Costa's Fishing Forecast

Episode Overview In this Central PA Fishing Report from The Articulate Fly, host Marvin Cash checks in with George Costa, manager at TCO Fly Shop in State College, Pennsylvania, for a timely early-summer conditions and hatch update. The season is at a pivotal transition: the dominant spring hatches are winding down, the summer hatch calendar is coming online and terrestrial season is officially starting — all critical intelligence for anglers planning Central PA trout outings over the weeks ahea...
Guest: George Costa
S8, Ep 41: Offbeat Seasons and Terrestrial Tactics: Mac Brown's Fishing Strategies
41
June 10, 2026

S8, Ep 41: Offbeat Seasons and Terrestrial Tactics: Mac Brown's Fishing Strategies

Episode Overview In this episode of The Articulate Fly's Casting Angles series, host Marvin Cash and Mac Brown — owner of Mac Brown Fly Fish and Fly Fishing Guide School in western North Carolina — deliver a timely early summer conditions update for the Tuckaseegee and Nantahala drainages. With the 2026 season running approximately 60 days ahead of schedule, Mac and Marvin unpack what that means for trout anglers trying to calibrate their approach as delayed harvest season closes and technical s...
Guest: Mac Brown
S8, Ep 40: Chasing Fish and Seasons: Josh Trammell's Guiding Adventures
40
June 5, 2026

S8, Ep 40: Chasing Fish and Seasons: Josh Trammell's Guiding Adventures

Episode Overview In this episode of The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash sits down with Josh Trammell, Head Guide at Mad River Outfitters in Columbus, Ohio, for a candid look at what it takes to build and sustain a full-time, four-season guide career. Josh covers the Ohio multi-species fishing calendar — smallmouth bass, northern pike, steelhead and carp — along with seasonal guiding in Alaska and destination schools targeting musky and trophy trout. Josh traces his path from...
S8, Ep 39: High Water Strategies: Captain Brian Shumaker's Pennsylvania Smallmouth Insights
39
June 4, 2026

S8, Ep 39: High Water Strategies: Captain Brian Shumaker's Pennsylvania Smallmouth Insights

Episode Overview In this Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash reconnects with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides for an early-June conditions check on the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers in Central Pennsylvania. Recent heavy rainfall pushed both systems well above normal — the Susquehanna approaching 12 feet, the Juniata topping 10 — and Brian breaks down how he's fishing the receding flows and what anglers can expect as the po...
S8, Ep 38: High Water and Transitional Fish: Matt Reilly's Southwest Virginia Fishing Insights
38
May 30, 2026

S8, Ep 38: High Water and Transitional Fish: Matt Reilly's Southwest Virginia Fishing Insights

Episode Overview In this Southwest Virginia Fishing Report on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with guide Matt Reilly of Matt Reilly Fly Fishing for a candid late-spring conditions update covering the post-spawn transition, dirty water tactics and the seasonal arc ahead. Recorded amid rising, stained flows on the New River and surrounding drainages — following months of below-average flows — the episode captures a moment when Southwest Virginia smallmouth fishin...
Guest: Matt Reilly
S8, Ep 37: Big Water, Big Fish: Ellis Ward's Strategies for Streamer Fishing Success
37
May 29, 2026

S8, Ep 37: Big Water, Big Fish: Ellis Ward's Strategies for Streamer Fishing Success

Episode Overview In this East Tennessee Fishing Report on The Articulate Fly, host Marvin Cash checks in with guide Ellis Ward for an early-summer conditions update focused on the Watauga River tailwater. After a dry spring that kept anglers grinding through tough conditions, a stretch of rain and rising water has Ellis bullish on what's ahead: bigger flows, off-color water, and the full slate of techniques that make East Tennessee tailwaters unique. He covers the current Watauga generation sche...
Guest: Ellis Ward
S8, Ep 36: Navigating High Water: Mac Brown's Strategies for Stained Conditions
36
May 28, 2026

S8, Ep 36: Navigating High Water: Mac Brown's Strategies for Stained Conditions

Episode Overview In this Casting Angles segment on The Articulate Fly, host Marvin Cash and veteran guide and Master Casting Instructor Mac Brown tackle one of the most practical — and underappreciated — skill sets in freshwater fly fishing: how to adapt your approach when elevated, stained water follows prolonged rainfall. Recorded against the backdrop of a week of steady rain across western North Carolina, with more forecast ahead, Mac shares a framework for fly selection, water reading and pr...
Guest: Mac Brown
S8, Ep 35: From Sulphurs to Drakes: George Costa's Essential Fishing Report for Central PA
35
May 22, 2026

S8, Ep 35: From Sulphurs to Drakes: George Costa's Essential Fishing Report for Central PA

Episode Overview This Central PA Fishing Report on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast finds host Marvin Cash checking in with George Costa, manager at TCO Fly Shop in State College, Pennsylvania, for a late-spring conditions update across Central PA's limestone streams. Recorded in late May ahead of Memorial Day weekend, the report captures one of the most productive dry fly windows of the year: sulphurs, March browns and Drakes are all in play simultaneously, and Costa is emphatic that the ...
Guest: George Costa
S8, Ep 34: Frog Patterns and Fishing Strategies: Brian Shumaker's Late Spring Smallmouth Report
34
May 21, 2026

S8, Ep 34: Frog Patterns and Fishing Strategies: Brian Shumaker's Late Spring Smallmouth Report

Episode Overview In this Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash reconnects with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides for a timely late-spring conditions check on the Susquehanna River system. The frog bite has been exceptional — two solid weeks of deer hair bug action — and Brian breaks down exactly how to rig, dress and present deer hair frogs for surface-eating smallmouth before the post-spawn funk sets in. Beyond the fishing re...
S8, Ep 33: Tying Tradition: Jason Taylor's Journey Through the Art of Fly Tying
33
May 15, 2026

S8, Ep 33: Tying Tradition: Jason Taylor's Journey Through the Art of Fly Tying

Episode Overview In this episode of The Articulate Fly , host Marvin Cash sits down with Jason Taylor — a Philadelphia-area fly tier, Tiers Row fixture at the Edison show and regular contributor to Masters of the Fly — for a wide-ranging conversation about fly tying philosophy, natural materials and the tradition of innovation rooted in Bob Popovics' work. On this fly fishing podcast episode, Taylor traces his journey from a 2008 Belize honeymoon that ignited his passion for the sport, to the ea...
S8, Ep 32: Spring Fishing Unlocked: Mac Brown's Tips for Targeting Elementary and Graduate School Fish
32
May 13, 2026

S8, Ep 32: Spring Fishing Unlocked: Mac Brown's Tips for Targeting Elementary and Graduate School Fish

Episode Overview In this Casting Angles episode of The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash reconnects with Master Casting Instructor and veteran Western North Carolina guide Mac Brown of Mac Brown Fly Fish in Bryson City for a timely mid-May conditions update on the Tuckasegee River. With the delayed harvest season winding down and roughly three weeks left to fish the DH water, Mac and Marvin break down exactly what anglers are up against — and how to read it correctly. The Tuck...
Guest: Mac Brown
S8, Ep 31: Chasing Smallmouth: Brian Shumaker's Adaptations for Unpredictable Spring Weather
31
May 7, 2026

S8, Ep 31: Chasing Smallmouth: Brian Shumaker's Adaptations for Unpredictable Spring Weather

Episode Overview The Articulate Fly's Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report returns with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides , delivering a timely mid-spring conditions update for the Susquehanna River system in Central Pennsylvania. This episode cuts straight to the practical challenge facing every Mid-Atlantic smallmouth angler right now: how to fish effectively when an extreme pattern of temperature swings — 80°F one day, back to the 50s by mid-week — is compressing and disrupting the...
S8, Ep 30: Central PA Chronicles: George Costa's Guide to Spring Fishing Conditions and Techniques
30
May 2, 2026

S8, Ep 30: Central PA Chronicles: George Costa's Guide to Spring Fishing Conditions and Techniques

Episode Overview In this Central PA Fishing Report on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with George Costa, manager at TCO Fly Shop in State College, Pennsylvania, for a real-time spring conditions update. With prime season fully underway, Costa delivers an encouraging picture across Central PA's limestone stream corridor: water levels are running near seasonal averages, a minor push of off-color water on the Juniata is clearing, and the hatch activity is firing o...
Guest: George Costa
S8, Ep 29: Fishing in Flux: Matt Reilly's Take on Spring Trends and Techniques
29
April 30, 2026

S8, Ep 29: Fishing in Flux: Matt Reilly's Take on Spring Trends and Techniques

Episode Overview The Articulate Fly returns to Southwest Virginia with guide Matt Reilly of Matt Reilly Fly Fishing for a candid late-spring conditions update covering the 2026 striper run, the smallmouth spawn transition and the tactical realities of fishing during one of the most compressed and drought-affected springs on record. Marvin Cash and Matt dissect a season that accelerated and stalled simultaneously — an extended cold February followed by an abrupt heat spike of 85–95°F days in late...
Guest: Matt Reilly
S8, Ep 28: Lessons from the River: Mac Brown's Insights on Adapting to Unusual Conditions
28
April 29, 2026

S8, Ep 28: Lessons from the River: Mac Brown's Insights on Adapting to Unusual Conditions

Episode Overview In this Casting Angles segment of The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash and Master Casting Instructor Mac Brown discuss how to adapt when an unusually warm, drought-driven spring upends normal seasonal fishing expectations across the mid-Atlantic and Southern Appalachians. It's a candid, practical conversation for anglers dealing with conditions that have scrambled hatches, compressed water temps and pushed trout into summerlike stress months early. Mac report...
Guest: Mac Brown
BONUS: Swine Design Secrets: Eli Berant Discusses the Optimus Swine
April 24, 2026

BONUS: Swine Design Secrets: Eli Berant Discusses the Optimus Swine

Episode Overview The Butcher Shop goes deep on one of the Great Lakes predator fly world's most distinctive patterns in this conversation with Eli Berant, the Michigan-based fly designer and founder of Great Lakes Fly . Eli is the creator of the Optimus Swine — a reverse foam head-embedded, side-kicking musky streamer that has been turning heads and producing fish since around 2009. In this episode, host Marvin Cash walks Eli through the full arc of the pattern: the lake musky problem it was des...
S8, Ep 27: The Pre-Spawn Puzzle: Captain Brian Shumaker's Tips for Pennsylvania Smallmouth
27
April 22, 2026

S8, Ep 27: The Pre-Spawn Puzzle: Captain Brian Shumaker's Tips for Pennsylvania Smallmouth

Episode Overview This fly fishing podcast episode launches the inaugural Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report on The Articulate Fly, featuring host Marvin Cash and Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides . The episode arrives at a pivotal moment in the Pennsylvania smallmouth spawn cycle, with an unseasonably volatile spring — swings from the upper 50s to the 70s in water temperature within days — compressing what is normally a methodical, staggered spawn into a chaotic quest to pattern pre...
S8, Ep 26: Hatches and Happenings: George Costa's Guide to Spring Fishing in Central PA
26
April 17, 2026

S8, Ep 26: Hatches and Happenings: George Costa's Guide to Spring Fishing in Central PA

Episode Overview This fly fishing podcast field report features George Costa of TCO Fly Shop in State College, Pennsylvania, delivering the latest Central PA fishing conditions as spring hatches hit full stride. Recorded in mid-to-late April, the report captures a dynamic moment in the season — warm temperatures pushing hatches early, water levels running slightly below seasonal norms and sulphurs poised to come online within a week to ten days. George covers active hatches across Spring Creek, ...
Guest: George Costa
S8, Ep 25: The Science of Stealth: Mac Brown on Fishing Techniques for Low Flow Scenarios
25
April 15, 2026

S8, Ep 25: The Science of Stealth: Mac Brown on Fishing Techniques for Low Flow Scenarios

Episode Overview In this Casting Angles episode of The Articulate Fly, host Marvin Cash and Master Casting Instructor Mac Brown of Mac Brown Fly Fish tackle the science behind low-water trout presentation — the kind of technical adjustment that separates consistent anglers from frustrated ones. With drought conditions pushing Western North Carolina rivers to July-like flows in early April, Marvin and Mac deliver a timely primer on two interconnected concepts: Snell's window (the physics governin...
Guest: Mac Brown