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 without it.
Mac traces the technique to Swisher's landmark book Selective Trout, which he first read at age eight from his grandfather's copy and considers among the most significant contributions to the sport in the last hundred years. He breaks the reach mend down from first principles, distinguishing it clearly from the more complex reach cast: after the casting stroke is complete and the line is still in the air, the angler simply reaches the rod tip to the side, positioning the fly line upstream or downstream of the fly — a movement accessible to complete beginners that can transform a fleeting drift into a long, uninterrupted float with the fly line entirely out of the fish's window.
Mac covers the reach mend across multiple real-world scenarios: cross-current presentations through mixed seams, straight upstream casts where the line would otherwise land across holding fish, and long downstream drifts on technical tailwaters. The episode also covers slipping line during a reach mend to extend presentation distance, and the drag-and-drop technique — casting well upstream and beyond a riser, lifting the rod tip to position the fly laterally, then tracking the rod downstream to drop the fly cleanly into the feeding lane. Marvin adds an important tactical counterpoint: a downstream mend can also be used to intentionally accelerate a streamer across a seam to trigger a reaction strike.
Key Takeaways
- How a post-cast reach mend positions your fly line upstream and away from rising trout, turning a brief drift into a long, drag-free float that beginners can execute immediately after learning the concept
- Why the reach mend is fundamentally different from the reach cast — and why mastering the mend first removes the biggest barrier to consistent presentation for anglers at any level
- When to slip line during a reach mend to extend presentation distance, without sacrificing accuracy or drag control
- How to execute the drag-and-drop technique — casting upstream and beyond a riser, lifting into position, then tracking the rod downstream — to drop a fly into a feeding lane without lining the fish or precision accuracy
- Why a downstream mend can intentionally induce drag to accelerate a streamer across a current seam when you want to trigger a reaction strike rather than a drag-free drift
Techniques & Gear Covered
The episode is devoted entirely to the reach mend and its related techniques, with Mac Brown providing a conceptual framework grounded in Swisher's Selective Trout and decades of guide school instruction. The core technique is the post-cast reach mend: after stopping the cast, and while the line is still unrolling, the angler reaches the rod tip to the upstream side to buy a drag-free window of time before the current grabs the fly line. This applies across presentation types — cross-stream casts through mixed currents, straight upstream casts where the line would otherwise fall on the fish, and long downstream presentations where only the fly should appear in the fish's window. Mac also covers the drag-and-drop approach, in which the angler lifts the fly line into position from an upstream-and-beyond cast, then tracks the rod downstream to lower the fly softly into the target lane without a direct presentation over the fish. Slipping line during the mend is discussed as a tool to extend reach. Marvin adds that the downstream mend inverts this logic for streamer fishing, using intentional drag to accelerate the fly across seams and trigger reaction strikes.
FAQ / Key Questions Answered
What is a reach mend and how does it differ from a reach cast?
A reach mend is a post-cast rod movement: after the casting stroke stops and the line is still unrolling in the air, the angler reaches the rod tip to the side — upstream or downstream — to position the fly line away from the target zone. The result is that only the fly (and not the line) enters the fish's window. In the case of an upstream reach mend, this technique also buys several seconds of drag-free drift before current tension catches up. A reach cast, by contrast, incorporates that lateral rod movement during the casting stroke itself, making it significantly more complex. Mac recommends learning the reach mend first because anyone — including complete beginners — can execute it immediately, and it delivers most of the same drag-control benefits.
How do you execute a reach mend when fishing across mixed currents?
In a cross-stream scenario with fast water between you and a slower holding lie, reach the rod tip upstream immediately after the cast stops — before the faster current grabs the fly line and creates drag. This buys enough time for the fly to drift naturally through the slow water without the line bellying downstream and pulling the fly across current.
What is the drag-and-drop technique and when does it help for rising trout?
The drag-and-drop lets you place a fly in a precise feeding lane without casting directly over the fish or precisely on target. You cast upstream and beyond the target, lift the fly line into lateral position, then track the rod downstream to lower the fly smoothly into the lane — all without the line or fly landing on top of the fish. This is especially useful during Sulphur and BWO hatches on tailwaters like the Watauga and South Holston, where fish are locked into tight feeding lanes and a fly dropped directly on the snout or with line overhead typically produces refusals or spooks. Mac notes that even a beginner can execute this with basic skills, and that you don't need the precision of an elite competition caster to make this technique work consistently.
How does slipping line change the outcome of a reach mend?
When you pinch the line during a reach mend, the fly lands closer than the initial cast would have carried it. When you slip line — releasing extra line during the mend — the fly travels further from you, extending presentation distance. Mac describes slipping line as the right tool when the holding lie or rising fish is farther out, allowing you to cover more water with the same mend without sacrificing drift quality.
When should you mend downstream to induce drag rather than upstream to prevent it?
A downstream mend is the right choice when you want to accelerate the fly, not slow it. Marvin notes that when fishing streamers across a current seam — particularly when you want the fly to zip past a rock, undercut bank, or holding spot — mending downstream puts intentional drag on the line, pulling the fly faster across the seam and triggering a reaction strike. This is the same basic principle as the upstream mend, just applied in reverse: instead of buying drift time, you're borrowing speed from the current.
Related Content
S7, Ep 60 - Mastering the Drift: Technical Trout Tactics for Summer Success with Mac Brown
S6, Ep 93 - Terrestrials, Drift and Teaching the Next Generation with Mac Brown
S7, Ep 20 - Practice Makes Perfect: Mac Brown on Mastering Casting Techniques
S7, Ep 16 - Simplifying Complexity: Effective Teaching Strategies in Fly Fishing with Mac Brown
S8, Ep 21 - Casting into Spring: Mac Brown Discusses Wild Trout Fishing and Upcoming Classes
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In this Casting Angles episode of The Articulate Fly, host Marvin Cash is joined by Master Casting Instructor and Western North Carolina guide Mac Brown for a deep dive into one of fly fishing's most foundational — and often overlooked — presentation tools: the reach mend. Mac traces the technique's roots to Doug Swisher's landmark 1971 book Selective Trout, which first introduced American anglers to the concept of shaping line after the cast to achieve drag-free drifts through mixed currents, and reflects on Swisher's passing in September 2024 at age 91. The conversation covers practical applications across a range of scenarios — cross-stream casts in fast-to-slow water, upstream presentations for rising trout on tailwaters like the Watauga and South Holston during Sulphur and blue-winged olive hatches, and downstream presentations on technical waters like the Henry's Fork. Mac also draws a clear pedagogical distinction between the reach mend (post-cast, accessible to all skill levels) and the reach cast (mid-stroke, intermediate to advanced), and explains how pairing the reach mend with slip line and a drag-and-drop approach can open up the entire lane to even a beginner angler.
EPISODE SUMMARY
Guest: Mac Brown - Guide and Master Casting Instructor at Mac Brown Fly Fish (Bryson City, NC)
In this episode: Master Casting Instructor Mac Brown joins host Marvin Cash to revisit one of fly fishing presentation's essential foundations — the reach mend — and pays tribute to the late Doug Swisher, whose 1971 book Selective Trout brought the technique to American anglers. Topics include the reach mend's origins and mechanics, the critical distinction between reach mend and reach cast in a teaching context, the drag-and-drop method for upstream presentations, and how these tools apply across current speeds and water types from small mountain streams to big Western tailwaters.
Key fishing techniques covered:
- Reach mend (post-cast reach upstream or downstream to extend drag-free drift)
- Reach cast (mid-stroke reach — intermediate to advanced)
- Drag-and-drop presentation for targeting specific feeding lanes upstream
- Slip line combined with reach mend for greater distance
- Downstream presentation with reach mend for rising fish on flat water (Henry's Fork style)
Location focus: Watauga River and South Holston River tailwaters (East Tennessee); Henry's Fork and Bighorn River (referenced in context of presentation technique)
Target species: Trout (Sulphur and blue-winged olive hatch context on East Tennessee tailwaters)
Equipment discussed: No Hackle Fly (from Swisher and Richards' Selective Trout); micro rubber legs (Doug Swisher's later-career tying innovation); MacBrownFlyFish.com schools (14 school types; Advanced Switch and Spey Casting Clinic, July 11–12)
Key questions answered:
- What is the difference between a reach mend and a reach cast?
- How do you get a drag-free drift when fast current lies between you and the fish?
- How do you use an upstream reach mend and drag-and-drop to place a fly in a specific feeding lane?
- Why did Doug Swisher's Selective Trout (1971) have such a lasting impact on fly fishing presentation?
- Can beginners use the reach mend, or is it an advanced technique?
Best for: All skill levels — Mac emphasizes the reach mend is accessible to beginners, while the discussion of reach cast and compound applications will resonate with intermediate and advanced anglers focused on trout presentation in technical currents
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, Marvin. How are you doing tonight?
Marvin Cash
As always, just trying to stay out of trouble. And unfortunately, it's gotten a little hot in my neck of the woods.
Mac Brown
Yeah, we got a little bit hot in that. We got a little. Little rain today, so it's cooling off. It's overcast here, so.But I know it's coming July, August is still coming, so hopefully we're gonna get a little bit more rains here and there with no drought periods and stay a little bit cooler.
Marvin Cash
Yeah. And so it's kind of funny. So I think, you know, there's really not a lot has changed on the fishing front since the last time we spoke.So we thought it would kind of be a good idea to maybe do what we do a lot, which is we spend a lot of time talking about educational stuff and particularly educational stuff related to casting.And, you know, there's a pretty common problem that you find if you spend enough time on the water and it's gonna be you got fast water between you and the slower water that you wanna fish. And how do you get a good presentation?
Mac Brown
Yeah, I think that'd be a good topic for this evening. And talk a little bit about what Doug Swisher brought to the table back in 1971 with a book he did called selective trout.And a lot of people that I see, you know, during the year that I work with and in schools on the road, they're like, well, I've never read that. Well, it's got a lot of gold nuggets in there with that book. By basically bringing to America the idea of a reach mend.And I thought that'd be a good topic because we can talk about it. And like the example you just said would be a cross stream, you know, with fast water going into slow water.Well, just something as simple as reaching the rod upstream to give you the handful of seconds you need to pull off a drift. But something that, for the.For the listeners that would really help is let's think about what if it's straight upstream and you're a total beginner, or you just got, you know, a season in on the trout stream and you've been throwing it straight upstream hoping you're going to catch a fish. Then you think about the line sitting right on top of the heads of all the fish you're trying to catch.And lo and behold, if you just reach the rod at the side now the fly can drift back 40ft towards you and the line's not in the way. And just think of all the fish you catch then.Then also say you're on the Henry's Fork or somewhere where you want to do a long downstream presentation. Once again, we do a reach mend. Same idea. So now the fly is the only thing in the window. There's no fly line, there's no leader.It's just a fly line for the fish that you saw rise. So it was absolutely brilliant. And it really influenced me as a kid, to be honest.It's like I was 8 year old kid, I think I read it from my granddaddy, had bought it first and I bought a copy of it about four or five years later for myself because I had so many nuggets, I thought I gotta have this cause it was so much gold in it. You know, Doug is like, he passed away, you know, at 91 years old in Corvallis, Montana in 2024, September 2024.And that's about the size of Bryson City. And he was really, really into doing a lot with fly time and stuff in his later years. But I just think about and I got to meet Doug.So it kind of weighed heavy on my mind, you know, when we think about what are we going to talk about tonight? I got to camp several times in my 20s, 22, 24. It was just funny because I'd show up by chance.Just show up, start off always because it's a long drive to Montana from when you live East Tennessee or Western Carolina. And when I get out there, I'd always start on the Bighorn river at Cottonwood Camp.And lo and behold, the first time I did that at 20, Doug and Carl were my neighbors. Right next door to where I was camping and two campsites down was Gary Lafontaine. And these people were all the icons.You know, when I was that age, these were the iconic figures in our sport. And they'd have you over for dinner and they'd talk about all this kind of stuff over the campfire and dinner.And it's just like, I just think in this age at 62, how much that really influenced me about drift and presentation. And it wasn't so much patterns, you know, they did a lot with that book too called, you know, the no Hackle Flies.But I'm gonna keep it pretty much on this presentation for right now. The no hackle fly was real similar to the Greenwell's or Parson's Glory for those of you that have fished England or New Zealand.That's like a huge pattern for those countries. And it's basically similar to the real. Similar to the no hackle fly that they talk about in that book, but they did a whole lot for that, too.And Doug in his later years, when I talked to Rick Hartman the other night late on the phone for a couple hours, and we were talking about all the packages that Doug would send me, the last 10 years of just things that were rubber leg, like real fine microfibers of a bunch of really micro rubber legs that he was using for, like, caddis flies and things. And there was a ton of innovation with the tie and stuff, too, that he was doing that was really exciting.You know, it's some of the most exciting materials I'd seen in a long time, and I hadn't seen a whole lot of stuff replace it since either. But I'm still playing around with a lot of that, trying to come up with some innovations, more with it.But yeah, just as something as simple for this podcast, it would be good to mention is like we're talking about a reach, a reach mend.And just to clarify, because this is a lot of confusion for the listeners, what is the difference of a mend is the fact that we make the cast, in other words, standing. Imagine yourself standing next to a brick wall. You made a cast with the rod. Like, say it's close to vertical in the same plane.And after you stop in front, you have all this time because it takes like 1001, 1002 for the line to straighten, you reach out. It's that simple.But if, if we do a reach cast, which is a teacher, I stay away from reach cast for the most part because we want people to get this, this basic movement down first in a slow training wheel session before we say reach out during the stroke itself. In other words, now we're against the brick belt, and halfway through the stroke, we reach out and we reach back.That's a little bit more complex, so I think that's more intermediate to advanced level. But the reach mend, everybody can do. Marvin.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, absolutely. You know, the interesting thing, too, is you can actually use it to also induce drag, right?So if you're trying to induce a take, you could, for example, in the situation we talked about in the beginning, with fast current and then slow current on the bank where you maybe you want. You're throwing a streamer and you want it to zip in front of a rock, right? Or a holding place, you can mend downstream.
Mac Brown
That's Right. You can change the speed. Yeah. If your presentation doing it that way too. But it's just. I'm just kind of shocked.I guess it's from the, you know, the time period when I was born that when you talk about this on the road, everybody's like, what?And it's just like been such a paramount to our sport that I kind of want to resurrect it kind of on this even to bring awareness to the listeners that all this stuff existed back in 71. Yeah.
Marvin Cash
And do you want to talk to a little bit about slip and line? Because I mean that has an impact.If you pinch that line off and you do a reach mend the fly is going to end up in a very different place than if you slip line. Right?
Mac Brown
Yeah, we can slip line out.And of course I just mean you're going to go a little further distance if you're slipping line with it, if you're trying to do it further away, which is a great tactic at times. The other thing I'd mention with it is this. What if we're on slow water and we do a reach mend upstream?We can also do things like, you don't have to be as good as Steve Rajeff to do this. You can be a total beginner and do this. You can throw across your fish and upstream of your fish and drag it back and drop it right in the lane.How do you drop it then? It means your rod needs to move downstream as soon as you're in the spot you want to be in.And by doing something as simple as that builds consistency where you can do it every time and not have to be like. It's a, you know, minutiae level of skill.
Marvin Cash
Yeah. And that's a huge thing. Like on the Watauga, the South Holston, when the sulphurs or the blue wings are coming off, Right. You got that riser.You can actually cast well above that fish and beyond it and you can pull everything right into. Right into lane. And you know, to your point, you don't have to smack them right on the snout.
Mac Brown
That's right, yeah. Because it'd probably be a disaster to smack them on the snout anyway because they're like, what's that? Because I mean things are hatching.They don't want to see it right in their window. So yeah, the drag and drop, that's also where all this took off, you know, and it really took off like in the 80s, late 70s.80S is when all this really exploded with. With a lot of instruction and methodology of presentation on the water.And it's just, I guess it's just kind of funny the older I get that most people when you mention it, it's like, it's like they hadn't even heard of it. And I'm just like, wait a minute, we gotta go back and talk about some fundamentals.And I think this is really paramount fundamentals of where we can go from talking about something as simple as a reach man for getting some really good skillset for folks that are like, even if they're brand new, if they understand that concept, it's going to really explode their ability to do some great presentations on the water.
Marvin Cash
Yeah. And I would say folks, you know, we always try to frame this in terms of problems and solutions.And so if there's a problem that you're having out on the water, you know, email me or DM me on Instagram and you know, you might find your question answered on the next casting angles.And you know, Mac, before I let you hop, I know we're kind of, you know, particularly for all those people that were on the DH train, you know, things are slowing down, time to go chase bass and panfish. But you know, I know you're still guiding and teaching over the summer.You want to let folks know how to get in touch and all that kind of good stuff.
Mac Brown
Yeah, the best way is really on on the website, MacBrownFlyFish.com and all the information's pretty easy to navigate in the menus at the top. Like, I mean everything they want to know is up there at the top of the menus. Just scroll through some of those menus.I think it's pretty self explanatory. Like one of them says dates. That's all the dates of things coming up and dates of shows for 2027.It's like, I just think if they go through the menu stuff, anything they want to know is going to be pretty much self explanatory up there at the top.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, I would encourage you to put some more meat on the bones and tell people maybe why they should go look around up there because otherwise they'll forget you. You know, they're in their car and they won't do it and they won't come see you.
Mac Brown
Well, you mean say the name of it.
Marvin Cash
Macbrownflyfish.com no, I'm saying like, oh, we've got a class on this, we've got a class on that. I'll be here, go check it out. Because otherwise it'll be like, oh, that's interesting.They're in their car, they go home, have a gin and tonic and they forget to go to your website.
Mac Brown
Oh yeah. Well, let me thank you. The next one coming up is the Advanced Switch and spey casting clinic, July 11th and 12th.That's on the event, that's on the date page. And then we got a oar frame rowing school in early September. I've kind of scheduled a lot of stuff off Marvin for August for myself.Cause that's about the only month I have every year where I can finally get some things done on my own, you know, to go explore and do some fun stuff. So I might be away a lot in August is what it's looking like at this point. But yeah, probably the best thing is like reach out.There's a contact page on there too if you have a specific question, you know, about, about one of the schools or things coming up. There's a lot of schools. I mean there really is. There's like I was thinking of this the other day. There's 14 different types of schools per year.So it's hard to sit here and say all that in like 10 seconds. You follow me?
Marvin Cash
Yeah, I get it.
Mac Brown
There's wet fly schools, dry fly schools, streamer schools.There's something, there's something in there for everybody of any kind of interest and their guide schools and there's four day guide schools and that's, that's on there too under the events thing. So yeah, look us up on that and. But I appreciate you taking the time to talk about some of these, you know, topics of.I just look at what Doug brought to the table in 71.There's a lot of things out there that people type that into AI and things they'll say that, you know, some of the most significant stuff that's happened in a hundred years of our sports.So that's pretty significant when you think that somebody brought all these concepts to a sport that wasn't really talking about presentation whatsoever. When you look back at the early years, you know, in the 20s and 30s, everybody was just assuming everybody had great presentation.And I think that was kind of a mistake because everybody didn't have the same presentation.So then when you start talking about things that are going to make people better skill sets on the water, it really, really helps get those enthusiastic, you know, growth minded individuals fired up.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, absolutely. You know folks, like I said, if you've got a fishing problem you want us to talk about, send it our way.And I'd also say too really help us out, particularly in the age of AI. If you like the podcast, tell a friend and leave us a review and rating in the podcast app of your choice.And of course, you know, water might get scarce as we move deeper into the summer, so you owe it yourself to 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.
