S8, Ep 72: Casting Essentials: Mac Brown's Guide to Power and Arc

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 doing?

Marvin,I'm doing great.How are you?

As always, just trying to stay out of trouble.And, you know, you just had your favorite weekend of the year.You had your casting mastery workshop this past weekend, and before we started recording, we were talking about light bulb moments, and you had one that you thought would be good to share with folks.

Yeah, no, that would.That would be a good thing.And one of the, you know, that comes up a lot is we talk about variable casting arcs quite a bit.Well, you know, because when you're casting, you know, a little further, a lot of times we can use, you know, a little bit bigger arc, like bunny ears, whatever you want to call it, like clock faces like in the old days, and grandpa's little, you know, book would carry in our vest.And you know, what happens if we vary that with the same amount of line?And so one thing that was an epiphany to these, all these guys that were in it this week was when we use too much power for, say, a given arc.Let's say the arc is, you know, stopping high.Like, that'd be midnight.And let's say you're applying force between 10 o'.Clock.So you got 10 o' clock and midnight, and then you.You.You apply a little bit too much, then you're gonna get all kinds of results, like a tuck cast in the back and all these things that didn't match what the line was supposed to do, to just unroll, no more, no less.And then everybody thinks when that happens, it's always just power.It's really not because you could.You could with the arc or the power, they're so interrelated.You just have to do a lot of.Look at a lot of cast to understand right away.Which is it.Because you can see the pace now.They use the word, the pace of the cast a lot from Al Buhr that I learned that from.And I really think that's what it boils down to.You know, just the pace.Like, if somebody went too much too early, it's really easy for me to see that, because it should be.Basically what helps people a lot is audibly slow, slow, slow, fast.So, I mean, if they really said slow, slow, slow, fast, that's how long it should take to put that first back cast up.When they're really trying to dial this in, if they get to the word slow and they've already hit it, and their cast is over.Chances are they didn't do slow, slow, fast.Does that help?

Yeah, it does.I mean, I think part of it, too, is if we kind of talk about, you know, arc length.And the reason, I guess, we're changing that.Right.Is the length of line we're trying to cast.And so, you know, I think people.I think sometimes people forget that, like, if you've got a really long Runway you can be in.You can be accelerating at a very gradual increasing rate over a really long Runway, and you've put a lot of energy into that ride to unload, right?

That's right.

And if you hammer it right, you know, with.With, basically we talk about all the time when you pull the pinky finger and you get that last bit of acceleration, you know, as we always talk about kind of in your system, if we talk about building symmetry first, you know, if you overpower it to your point, you're getting a tuck cast.Right.And so you got to kind of remember to manage kind of the Runway and the pinky pull, Right?

Yeah, yeah, that's it.And it's.I just think that a lot of times we don't hear enough about how interrelated those two are.And you can't have one without the other.And so even if we go a good example, I'm gonna throw this out just to where people really understand it, because this is a good drill.Anybody can do it in the yard.In a few minutes, they might get the same light bulb moment.What if we go really, really slow for the forward cast in front, like, instead of just hammer it like normal and just like, you know, because usually people like to throw way too.Too much energy.But let's really, really go slow.But we're going to use a really narrow arc, so we create a really tight loop.We didn't need much to do that.And even when we use this much narrower arc with very, very minimal power, it might be too much and turn into a tuck.Does that kind of help that?That's the fastest way, I think, where people can kind of see the light of that.And if you use a little bit bigger arc, then it'll match the amount of effort that you use.And then a boom.It's just a perfect straight cast.So.But that right there cuts through it all real quick, improves kind of what we're talking about, that when people realize that, then they realize they're in charge of both.Not just the effort, but the path, the distance of that path.Yeah.

And I would say kind of maybe a snap on for that is a drill that Mark Huber taught me about.You know, if you're hearing a lot of rod noise when you're casting, you got too much power, Right?

Exactly.

And so, you know, and that's.That.Not the fat.Not the high frequency sound.It's that low frequency whooshing sound, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.The whoosh sound.

And so, you know, one of the things that Mark worked with me on years ago was he's like, well, how do you know how much power you need?It's like, you know, just keep backing the power off until the loop collapses.And then once you figure that out, you just kind of go back the other direction just a smidge, and you're exactly where you need to be for that symmetrical foundation.

Yeah.Yeah.That's really good.That's.That's a good one.He's a.He's a brilliant, brilliant caster.I like my time over the years spent with Mark, and I mean, that's really good advice.

Yeah.And, you know, it's kind of, you know, the school thing is great.I think the bad news, folks, is if you're in western North Carolina, you're going to have a little bit more time to practice, because the news from our.Our.Our wildlife resource Commission, folks is that they're going to delay the stocking for delayed harvest trout water by a month, and it won't start until the beginning of November.And they're really kind of two reasons for that.You know, anyone that's been lived here, been around here, we've had a brutally hot and dry summer.That'd be kind of point number one.Point number two, we kind of had the perfect storm in late 2025.They closed the hatchery in Pisgah to do a massive renovation, which meant that Armstrong was the main hatchery.And they've actually, literally, the water's been so hot running into Armstrong Creek because of summer conditions, but also kind of.Helene took out a lot of the tree cover.They've actually had fish kills in the hatchery, and they're a little bit behind, so stocking will be delayed, and they're going to stock fewer fish.So that's kind of, you know, basically the lemonade in that, folks, is to go out and you can work on your casting and work on some of this stuff on the water that we've been talking about over the last few sessions.But, you know, Mac, you have some even happier news for.On the international competition front, right?

I do, I do.And yeah.Wanted to congratulate Michael Bradley from Cherokee here and all the guys on Team usa, Devin and Cody and Jack and Mike, along with Michael, for taking gold in the worlds in Idaho.And they took a gold as a team as well, which is.It's been a long, long process with that.So, I mean, that really made my.Made my week.You know, I followed it really close and talked to Mike's dad several times and was getting the updates, and I was like, this is the year.And so that's not an easy thing.It's gone on 49 years and is the first team gold medal and first individual gold medal the adult men have ever had.So.So it's a big.It's a big accomplishment.

Yeah.I mean, and then, you know, to put it in perspective, folks, it's like being good at the Olympics.And a lot of people in the United States have worked on this for a very, very long time to get the team to this place.

That's right.That's why it was such a.It's just so exciting because I. I remember Mike when he was a kid, and of course, Jack Arnot when he come up with the youth kids.And I'm just.All these guys.I mean, I've seen them when they started, you know, and it's just.It's when it all comes to fruition and they get in there and they're really a big part of.That was just the team.The team mentality of how much they shared with one another, and they shared freely with everything to do that kind of goal.And also, congrats to Pat, who filled in as the coach, you know, from Pennsylvania, Pat Weiss.And he did a great job.And so just.I'm.I'm just real happy that maybe we can switch it from Euro nymphing and go back what it used to be in the 30s and 20s and 40s and call it American nymphing again, you know, There you go.

Something to look forward to.And, you know, if fishing is going to be a little bit delayed this fall, you know, it's a good opportunity to kind of do skill work, and that's a natural segue.I know you're trying to not spend a lot of time on the water guiding Mac, but you do have plenty of schools.You want to tell folks kind of what's left and how to sign up?

Sure.We got one.One spot left in.Had one move from October to November, so that opened up one spot in October, and we've got two spots still in November, and that'll be the 15th of October.We're going to have a four day school and of course they can meet Michael, he'll be working part of that school, the world champion, Michael Bradley.So he's going to come out and help us there on the 16th and then we'll have the rowing day, the third day and.But it'll cover everything from dry fly, wet fly, streamer and nymphing and the day on the water, rowing.A day casting.I mean by the time we go through all that it's a, it's a pretty large itinerary to go through in four days.So I'm looking forward to it.

Yeah, absolutely.And so, you know, how do folks find out, you know, what's available and how to sign up and all that kind of good stuff or even, you know, to get a casting lesson.

They can go on a MacBrownFlyfish.com and it'll have the dates and links.It'll take you to everywhere.I mean on the very top menu just look under the dates and it'll.That's the easiest way to get to it and yeah, but we're looking forward to getting those going.That was, that was a great weekend this last weekend.And that is one of my favorites.It really wore me out because then I realized Sunday I went to bed at 8 o', clock Marvin.But the other good news is we're cooling down.You know, the hatcheries had a tough time this summer with 90 degree weather and like Marvin said, Helene took a lot of those trees.But we've been in the mid-40s the last four nights in a row and it's absolutely really nice to put on a little jacket in the morning.You know, when I was working this weekend I was cold actually the first two hours I was like, this is what I've been waiting for.

Yeah.And I would say kind of on a positive note, you may not have a lot of water.Here you are.But they got plenty of water on the Tennessee side of the park.

Yeah, they do.

We.

And we've got a lot of water.We've had plenty of rain.We had 3 inches of rain a few days ago and that was the first really good rain we've had in about two months.So that brought the tables up quite a bit and it's looking a lot better.It's definitely the water's cooled down a lot just from having four nights in the mid-40s.I mean that right there just put like deep creeks back down where it should be.I mean it definitely dropped it a lot, just because, you know, that's about a 20 degree difference during the night already, so.So I'm thankful.I'm thankful we finally cooled off, you know, I've been waiting on it all summer because I wasn't a fan of the 90 degree days, I'll tell you that.

I do remember you complaining.But you know what I would say, folks, is, you know, if you can get out and fish, get out and fish.But if you can't do some of the skill work that Mac and I have been talking about kind of over the summer.But as I always say, you owe it to yourself to get out there and catch a few.Tight lines, everybody.Tight lines, Mac.

Tight lines.Marvin.