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 presentation discipline that turns a condition most anglers write off into a genuine tactical advantage.
Mac and Marvin walk through the core principles of fishing stained water: understanding where fish go when visibility drops (higher in the column, into the kitchen riffles), how to match fly color and size to actual visibility rather than habit, and why the grid-tightening approach — spending two to three times longer per spot and halving your grid interval — is the single most important behavioral adjustment for covering dirty water effectively. The conversation also touches on how stained conditions can work in an angler's favor by masking wading noise and allowing closer approaches, and closes with an update on Mac Brown's newly redesigned websites and upcoming fly fishing schools and masterclasses out of Bryson City, North Carolina.
Key Takeaways
- How to position flies higher in the water column when stained conditions push trout and bass off structure and toward the surface.
- Why contrast — not naturalism — is the governing principle for fly selection in dirty water, and how that logic changes depending on whether you're fishing a deep pool or a shallow riffle.
- When to fish dark, high-contrast dry flies (foam or stimulator-style patterns in black or dark gray) versus light-colored nymphs in shallow, broken riffle water where the food is actually concentrated.
- How to use size, shine and sound (rattles) as visibility supplements when natural colors become invisible in tea-colored water.
- Why tightening your grid — cutting your grid interval in half and spending two to three times longer per spot — is essential when fish can't track a fly from distance in low-visibility conditions.
- How stained water tilts the odds in the angler's favor by masking wading noise and enabling closer presentations that would spook fish in clear conditions.
Techniques & Gear Covered
Mac Brown's stained-water framework covers three primary presentations. For dry fly fishing, he advocates dark, high-contrast patterns — black foam bodies, dark brown bodies and black stimulator-style flies — that read clearly against an overcast sky. For nymphing, the key distinction is depth: in deep holes, light penetration is insufficient for fish to see anything, so Mac redirects anglers to shallow riffle heads (what he calls "the kitchen") where fish move to feed and where visibility remains functional in as little as a foot of water. In those shallower zones, he recommends light-colored, small and shiny nymph patterns. Marvin adds that mops and dark stonefly patterns fished with a jigging retrieve are effective for probing stained water more slowly and deliberately, coaxing reluctant fish to commit. Mac references the "Rain X Mop" developed by Jim Estes as an example of a light-colored pattern that works well in shallow riffle water. Rattles are noted as a viable visibility supplement, consistent with the same logic that makes sound important in night fishing. The overarching gear philosophy: let the contrast between fly and water, not the fly's naturalistic fidelity, drive your selection.
FAQ / Key Questions Answered
How do I choose fly colors when fishing stained or dirty water?
Mac Brown's core principle is contrast over naturalism: pick a fly color that stands out against the actual background the fish sees, not the color that matches the natural. In overcast conditions with stained water, that means dark dries (black, dark gray) against a light sky, and light or shiny nymphs in shallow zones where the water itself is the dark background. The single rule of thumb is to avoid matching the water's color — a tea-colored fly in tea-colored water is effectively invisible.
Where do trout and bass go when water levels rise and clarity drops?
Both trout and bass move higher in the water column and position themselves in shallower, broken water — particularly riffle heads and foam lines at the head of pools, which Mac calls "the kitchen." These are the zones where dislodged food concentrates and where there's enough ambient light for fish to see. Deep holes become largely unproductive in stained conditions because light penetration is insufficient for fish to spot a fly at depth.
How should I adjust my wading and water coverage in dirty water?
Mac Brown recommends spending two to three times longer in each spot compared to clear-water fishing, and cutting your grid interval roughly in half — from, say, two feet to one foot. Because reduced visibility shortens the distance at which fish can track and respond to a fly, thorough, systematic coverage becomes far more important than covering ground. The goal is to put the fly close enough that the fish almost bumps into it.
Why can stained water actually be an advantage for fly fishers?
Two factors work in the angler's favor when water is stained: fish are less able to detect the angler's presence, which allows closer approaches without spooking; and wading noise is substantially masked by the increased water volume and surface disturbance. Mac Brown notes that he personally prefers fishing in stained conditions for exactly these reasons — the playing field tilts toward the angler who adjusts technique accordingly rather than waiting for clear water.
When should I use dry flies versus nymphs in elevated, stained conditions?
Mac recommends a dry-dropper setup with the dropper kept very close to the surface — not three or four feet down — so that the nymph remains in the productive visibility zone. Dark, high-contrast dries remain viable in stained conditions as long as they're readable against the sky. Pure deep nymphing in pools is largely unproductive; the better bet is redirecting to shallow riffle water where fish are actively feeding and the fly can be seen.
Related Content
S7, Ep 41 – Navigating High Water: Strategies for Success with Mac Brown
S8, Ep 25 – The Science of Stealth: Mac Brown on Fishing Techniques for Low Flow Scenarios
S8, Ep 21 – Casting into Spring: Mac Brown Discusses Wild Trout Fishing and Upcoming Classes
S7, Ep 28 – Warming Waters and Active Fish: A Spring Fishing Update with Mac Brown
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In this Casting Angles episode of The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash and Master Casting Instructor Mac Brown tackle a timely and practical topic: how to fish effectively when persistent rainfall has left rivers stained and running slightly elevated. Recorded during a period of ongoing wet weather in western North Carolina, the conversation is built around fly selection, fish positioning and presentation adjustments for tea-colored, off-color water on trout streams. Mac and Marvin cover everything from choosing dark, high-contrast dry flies and tiny, shiny nymphs to tightening up grid patterns in riffles and spending more time at each spot — the kind of actionable framework that helps anglers make the most of conditions many treat as a write-off.
EPISODE SUMMARY
Guest: Mac Brown – Master Casting Instructor and Owner, Mac Brown Fly Fish / Fly Fishing Guide School (Bryson City, NC)
In this episode: Master Casting Instructor Mac Brown shares practical, framework-level guidance for fishing stained and elevated water on mountain trout streams. Topics include fly color and contrast theory for off-color conditions, fish positioning adjustments when water clarity drops, riffle kitchen tactics, dry dropper configuration adjustments, grid pattern compression and dwell time strategy.
Key fishing techniques covered:
- Fishing dark, high-contrast dry flies (black, dark gray) in overcast conditions to maximize visibility against sky
- Dry dropper rigging with nymphs kept shallow (approximately one foot under) rather than deep
- Choosing tiny, shiny nymphs (e.g., bead-head patterns) over natural-colored flies like Frenchies or pheasant tails
- Targeting the "kitchen" — shallow riffle heads — with lighter-colored nymphs where foot-deep water allows visibility
- Tightening grid patterns in riffles (moving in one-foot increments rather than two) and extending dwell time two to three times longer than normal per spot
- Avoiding deep holes (five to six feet) in dirty water due to light penetration limits
- Jigging mop flies and dark stonefly patterns as slow-presentation options
Location focus: Western North Carolina trout streams; Nantahala River and Tuckaseegee River referenced as examples
Target species: Trout (brown trout and rainbow trout implied); bass noted as sharing similar column-rise behavior
Equipment discussed: Dark/foam-bodied dry flies; black Stimulator; tiny bead-head nymphs; mop flies (including the Rain X Mop developed by Jim Estes); dark stonefly nymphs; rattles mentioned as supplemental option for nymph fishing in stained conditions
Key questions answered:
- What fly colors work best in stained or tea-colored water?
- How deep should I fish a nymph under a dry fly when water is off-color?
- Where do trout hold in the river when water becomes dirty and elevated?
- How should I adjust my grid pattern and time-on-water strategy in stained conditions?
- Is it worth fishing deep holes in dirty water?
Best for: Intermediate and advanced trout anglers wanting a conditions-based decision framework for fishing off-color, slightly elevated water on freestone and delayed harvest streams
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
Marvin Cash
Hey, folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of The Articulate Fly. We're back with another Casting Angles with the man himself, Mac Brown. Mac, how are you?
Mac Brown
I'm doing great. How are you doing, Marvin?
Marvin Cash
As always, just trying to stay out of trouble. And I mean, dude, like, it wasn't raining, and now it's raining.
Mac Brown
It's raining every day. It's like, time to build an ark.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, it's kind of nuts.And so, you know, we were talking and, you know, it's interesting, right, because we've been so dry in this part of the country for so long that, you know, stuff's not really blown out, but we've got kind of showers and, you know, meaningful rainfall over the next week to 10 days. And so we're going to probably have, you know, from a fishing perspective, elevated and stained water.So we thought today would be a good time to talk to folks about, you know, how to not, you know, we're not talking about fishing, ripping water and fishing on structure and staying close to the banks. But, you know, what do you do when you got kind of chocolatey high water and you want to go fishing?
Mac Brown
Yeah, I thought that'd be a good topic. Just as far as people maybe help them out with getting a little bit closer to choosing the right technique, right kind of patterns to fish.And one of the. One of the big things about contrast, when the water gets, you know, t colored is a lot of times the fish are going to move up in the column.Even bass, they're going to be structured up higher off the structure. You know, if the water gets a little bit colored. But trout, they gonna do the same thing.So like using a dry fly, keeping those tags off the dry fly, if you dry dropper, keeping them a lot closer to the surface for the. For the nymphs, you're going to choose, you know, so. So we try to stay away from the natural colors when the water's dirty.Not so much like the frenchie pheasant tail kind of stuff is more with something shiny, like tiny and shiny works really well with this kind of condition going on. And there's a lot of other things, too, but as far as just the.The coloration of patterns move up in the column and get stuff that's going to stand out. So with the dry fly, of course, contrast would be something that's dark against an overcast back, you know, sky.We wouldn't fish a light fly in overcast conditions. So black tends to be, you know, dark gray, and black would be a good coloration for the dries up, up top.And then as far as the nymph, have something tiny and shiny, you know, a foot underneath, not like three or four feet underneath, but closer to the surface.
Marvin Cash
Yeah.And so on the dry fly front, that means, you know, maybe you get away with fishing, you know, like a foam bodied, black bodied fly, brown bodied fly or you know, like this time of year, you know, maybe take a black stimulator, something like that.
Mac Brown
Yeah, I mean that's, that's exactly it. And we use a lot of the, the darker colors for that. And of course sound also comes important just like when people night fish.But fish will still use, you know, vibration and things like that in the water column.But with it, with it kind of like what we're seeing here, it's not like it's way high cf, you know, the CFS is not like crazy high by any means, but the water's been dirty, you know, the past week here and it's going to continue to be dirty according to the forecast the next week. So, yeah, when it's like that, it's just like you can still do a lot of the same, you know, techniques that we do when the water's clear.And a lot of people look at it as a handicap with stain, but I prefer stain. I like it. Stain kind of like what it is right now, personally.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, I mean it kind of tilts the odds in your favor. Right. Because it allows you to get a little bit closer. Right. And also the water, the great thing about it is it also masks like waiting noise.So there are two things that are helpful. But if you're purely nymphing the thing too, the rules kind of apply. Right. Shiny's great. Rattles can be good. We're also talking about contrast.So this isn't the time to fish tan flies. We're talking about dark colors because you want contrast.And you, you can also get away with probably fishing a slightly bigger bug that they can actually see better, right?
Mac Brown
Yeah, yeah. A little bit bigger sizes too would work fine. And you know, with streamer coloration, same kind of thing.If you're, you know, where a lot of people mess up with when the water's stained is when fish are in what we call the kitchen, they move into the riffles for the kitchen, where the bugs are coming from or the foam line that's coming out of the riffle at the head of the pool. And when you focus in on that type of water, of course a riffle has to be shallower than a deep pool.That's why it's called a riffle, you know, because you got broken water on the top. And when you're fishing that, that type of water you can get away with like light flies, you know, like the rain x mop that Jim Estes just developed.We use a lot of that kind of stuff too. And water's only a foot deep.They will see a light colored fly in the kitchen area really well for the nips, you know, we're talking about the stuff that's actually in the water column that, that will work better than a darker flies. In other words, just think of it like this.If the water's chocolate, kind of like a tea collar, we probably wouldn't want to throw a fly that's tea colored because then it doesn't stand out whatsoever. So that'll just help people with the process of actually fly selection by thinking that, you know, thinking that way.Fishing a deep hole of course is kind of pointless in dirty water because why the light's not available to see it down deep.So not a lot of good things to come from fishing to fly in a five, six foot, you know, deep hole like on the Nantahala or Tuckaseegee river when it's dirty like this. I mean, that's not where the money of activity is going to come from.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, the other thing too is you get kind of control and you know, jigging stuff like mops and those dark, dark color like stone flies and things like that can be really effective because you get to really kind of, you know, slow things down a little bit and kind of bug them, get them to eat, right? Yeah.
Mac Brown
And another thing is staying longer in those areas, you know, because people tend to get in, they, you know, make a dozen casts and they move on to the next hole and the next hole. And that's kind of a, a bad decision making model when it's like this kind of condition.So you want to, you want to tend to stay a little longer in all these spots because the visibility is not as good. And so you want to kind of probe that maybe spend two to three times longer than normal because you need to almost bump them in the face.I mean, the reality is because of the coloration, the fish aren't going to move near as far because they physically can't see it. And so you got to be more thorough. Your grid patterns even have to be tighter to tighten up the grid.Let's say you're fishing a riffle and you're moving across it at 2 foot at a time. Let's cut that in half and say, let's move it a foot at a time because you want the fly to be visible.And of course, the water, even though it's tea color, there's still enough, you know, a foot and a half of visibility in the water. So does that, does that help? Kind of. Does that make good sense to you, Marvin, about just tighten the grid pattern up?
Marvin Cash
Yeah, absolutely.And you know, folks, I think this is probably, you know, a pretty good tip to kind of help you make the most of the tail end of the delayed harvest season in western North Carolina.And Mac, why don't you, before I get you to share what you got going on, how to book and all that kind of good stuff, I mean, you've been down the rabbit hole. You've got a new website. You want to let folks know about that?
Mac Brown
Yeah, it's still the same URL. It's just been revamped the past couple of weeks. The fly fishingguideschool.com and macbrownflyfish.com have both been redone.A lot more user friendly on the front end. And so, yeah, that's taken a lot of, a lot of hours away from being on the water.But we still got, you know, the past few days I got to do over Memorial Day weekend. We got to go out Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And so then as soon as those are over, I'm on the computer till late at night.But yeah, go give that a look for those listening and send us a message about what you like about it different.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, and so, you know, we've. Max joined us in the 21st century on the Internet. And you know, so obviously you got, you know, casting instruction this summer.You're running guide trips. You want to let folks know kind of schools and all that kind of good stuff. And you already gave them the URLs, right?
Mac Brown
Yeah, well, yeah, it's all on there. There's masterclass schools. Those are, those are two day casting weekend schools.There's, there's all kinds of buttons for the different schools there on the Smoky Mountain fly fishing weekends. And those are all targeted towards dry fly, wet fly nymphing and streamer techniques. And those are all unique to those four techniques.But they can find all that. It's real user friendly. Just go down through there and when you see something that looks like it might be of interest, they can.It takes you straight to the pages, tells you all about it. That's probably easier for them to navigate all that on the URL.
Marvin Cash
Yeah. So when are the next dates for.
Mac Brown
The schools well, the five day school, the next day it's going to be October, I think 14th. And that's the five day one. That's kind of the granddaddy of the schools we run. And then of course we've got some.The Smoky Mountain schools are going on right now. I mean, for the next couple of weeks we're going to be completed with the four of those.And so they have all the dates and stuff listed up in the headers on the ME URL. And of course, what I do a lot this time of year still is when it starts to get into middle of summer is like the casting instruction stuff.I do a lot of like one on one things with that. And of course that's all on there too. So they can go straight there and book.
Marvin Cash
Yeah. Well, there you go. Well, listen, folks, you know, people have been doing the rain dance, so we're lucky we've got rain.You need to make the most of it and get out there and catch a few tight lines, everybody. Tight lines, Mac.
Mac Brown
Tight lines. Marvin.
Guide | Casting Instructor | Author
Mac Brown is the owner of Mac Brown Fly Fish and Fly Fishing Guide School in Western NC. Mac created the first full-time fly fishing guide service in Western North Carolina. The first Delayed Harvest on the Upper Nantahala River in early 1993 was also a result of his efforts.
Mac Brown is the author of “Casting Angles” which is a fly casting handbook for those on the journey of understanding the mechanics of the cast. The ACA, FFI, and others have endorsed this text as a reference for instructors as well. Mac is a Master Casting Instructor through the Fly Fishers International.
