S8, Ep 8: Gear Up for Spring: Winter Maintenance Tips with Mac Brown
Episode Overview
Mac Brown joins host Marvin Cash for this Casting Angles episode of The Articulate Fly, a fly fishing podcast focused on practical instruction and technique refinement. With winter weather keeping many anglers off the water across the mid-Atlantic and southern Appalachians, Mac and Marvin discuss how to use this downtime productively by organizing gear and preparing equipment for the upcoming season. The conversation covers essential off-season maintenance tasks including line cleaning, wader re-treating, fly box reorganization and boot cleat maintenance. Mac shares his custom tippet management system that prevents fumbling for tippet in freezing conditions and emphasizes the importance of getting fly weight systems dialed in before prime fishing returns. The discussion also touches on the transition from winter's deep freeze to early spring fishing opportunities, with Quill Gordon hatches beginning as early as mid-February on National Park streams and post-spawn streamer fishing on tailwaters like the South Holston and Watauga. This episode provides a comprehensive checklist for serious anglers to ensure their gear is ready when weather breaks and fishing conditions improve.
Key Takeaways
- How to organize fly boxes by weight and technique during the off-season to streamline on-water efficiency when the season begins.
- Why washing and re-treating waders now prevents cutting into prime fishing time during peak spring hatches.
- How to create a reliable tippet management system using elastic and clear tubing so you never struggle to find the tippet end in cold conditions.
- When to expect the earliest hatches in the southern Appalachians, with Quill Gordons appearing in mid-February on National Park streams.
- Why the first warm day after extended cold spells consistently produces excellent fishing as water temperatures rise from the mid-30s.
Techniques & Gear Covered
Mac emphasizes moving away from traditional split shot systems because mashing lead onto tippet significantly weakens the tippet when wet, instead favoring organized weight systems built into flies. The discussion covers comprehensive line cleaning protocols for multiple setups, particularly for lake fishing applications where having several lines ready prevents last-minute scrambling. Mac details his custom tippet management method using elastic and clear tubing (similar to New Zealand strike indicator material) that keeps 2 inches of tippet exposed and prevents the frustrating search for the tippet end when fingers are numb. Boot maintenance receives attention with the recommendation to install fresh 5/8-inch sheet metal screws using an eighth-inch driver to maintain traction. The episode also addresses seasonal gear rotation, including moving chemical hand warmers, nitrile gloves and other cold weather gear in and out of fishing kits as conditions change.
Locations & Species
The episode references winter conditions across Charlotte, Swain County and western North Carolina, where snow and single-digit temperatures have kept guides off the water for nearly two weeks. Marvin mentions an upcoming post-spawn brown trout streamer trip on the South Holston and Watauga Rivers near Johnson City, taking advantage of warming trends with temperatures reaching 60 degrees. Mac discusses early-season opportunities on National Park streams in the Smokies, where Quill Gordon hatches begin in the second or third week of February—some of the earliest dry fly action in the country. The conversation also touches on Mac's upcoming winter steelhead trip to swing flies on Oregon's Klamath River. Target species focus primarily on trout, with musky mentioned in the context of mid-Atlantic guides being unable to fish due to harsh winter conditions.
FAQ / Key Questions Answered
How should anglers organize their fly boxes during the off-season?
Mac recommends organizing by both technique and weight, creating separate boxes for small nymphs, large nymphs, streamers, small dries and large dries. He emphasizes incorporating weight into the flies rather than relying on split shot, which weakens tippet when clamped on. This winter reorganization ensures boxes are ready for March and April fishing without last-minute scrambling.
What's the best tippet management system for cold weather fishing?
Mac developed a system using elastic and clear tubing (like New Zealand strike indicator material) that keeps the tippet end extended about 2 inches from the spool. This prevents the common problem of losing the tippet inside the spool when fingers are cold and numb. The tippet is always accessible and the spool revolves smoothly, eliminating frustration in freezing conditions.
When do the earliest dry fly hatches begin in the southern Appalachians?
According to Mac, Quill Gordons start appearing in the second and third week of February on National Park streams in the Smokies—some of the earliest hatches in the country. These size 10 mayflies emerge when temperatures return to the 40s and 50s after winter cold snaps, often appearing much earlier than anglers expect.
Why is the first warm day after extended cold weather so productive for trout fishing?
Mac explains that when water temperatures drop to the mid-30s during prolonged cold spells, the first day that warms up "really wakes the fish up" and consistently produces excellent fishing. This pattern has proven reliable over his 44 years as an outfitter. The warming trend triggers feeding activity after the metabolic slowdown caused by frigid water.
What off-season maintenance tasks should anglers prioritize?
Beyond fly box organization, Mac and Marvin recommend washing and re-treating waders, cleaning all fly lines, installing fresh sheet metal screws in boots, checking leader and tippet inventories and rotating seasonal items like chemical hand warmers and nitrile gloves. This preparation prevents maintenance tasks from cutting into prime fishing time when hatches begin.
Related Content
S6, Ep 141 - Mastering Cold Weather Fly Fishing with Mac Brown
S6, Ep 145 - Navigating Winter Waters: Unconventional Strategies with Mac Brown
S7, Ep 16 - Simplifying Complexity: Effective Teaching Strategies in Fly Fishing with Mac Brown
S7, Ep 41 - Navigating High Water: Strategies for Success with Mac Brown
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In this Casting Angles segment from The Articulate Fly, host Marvin Cash and casting instructor Mac Brown discuss off-season preparation strategies for fly fishers during winter downtime. With cold weather limiting fishing opportunities across the mid-Atlantic region, Mac and Marvin cover essential gear organization tasks including fly box reorganization, wader maintenance and retreatment, fly line cleaning, tippet system optimization and creating accessible storage solutions for frequently used equipment. The conversation explores pre-season preparation for spring hatches (particularly quill gordon emergences in late February on North Carolina national park streams) and post-spawn streamer fishing on Tennessee tailwaters like the South Holston and Watauga. Mac shares practical tips from his 44 years as an outfitter, including his system for keeping tippet accessible in cold weather conditions and the importance of timing warm weather windows after prolonged cold snaps for productive fishing days.
EPISODE SUMMARY
Guest: Mac Brown - Casting Instructor, Guide and Outfitter at Mac Brown Flyfish (Bryson City, North Carolina)
In this episode: Casting instructor and guide Mac Brown shares off-season preparation strategies for fly fishers making the most of winter downtime. Topics include gear organization systems, equipment maintenance routines, seasonal fly box reorganization and tactical preparation for spring fishing seasons in the Southeast.
Key fishing techniques covered: • Post-spawn streamer fishing on tailwaters • Lake fishing during winter temperature windows • Nymphing with weighted fly systems • Spring creek dry fly presentations for early season hatches • Swinging flies for steelhead on West Coast rivers
Location focus: Western North Carolina streams (Great Smoky Mountains National Park), South Holston River, Watauga River (Tennessee tailwaters), Klamath River (Oregon)
Target species: Trout (brown trout, rainbow trout), musky, steelhead
Equipment discussed: Fly boxes (organization by size and type), waders and footwear maintenance, fly line cleaning, tippet spools with elastic retention systems, studded cleats (5/8" sheet metal screws), weighted flies vs. split shot, leader and tippet materials (5X-7X), chemical hand warmers, first aid kits
Key questions answered: • How do you organize fly boxes for efficient access during the season? • What gear maintenance should be done during winter downtime? • How do you create a better tippet organization system for cold weather fishing? • When is the best time to fish tailwaters after cold weather breaks? • What are the earliest spring hatches in the Southeast?
Best for: Beginner to advanced anglers interested in gear organization, off-season preparation, seasonal planning for Southeast trout fishing and equipment maintenance strategies
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
Just trying to stay warm and stay out of the snow here in Charlotte.
Mac Brown
Oh yeah, we got a little bit of the white stuff again too.It's kind of following me around the country when Boston or Marlboro show, you know, we got about a foot, then in Edison we got about, I don't know, maybe 18, 18 or so inches. And then this weekend we got about 14 more here with single digits in Swain County. So, yeah, it just keeps following me.I hear, I hear Denver's going to be like going to Belize. It's supposed to be 55 degrees all this next week, which will be nice.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, it's interesting. I may be pressing my luck.I, you know, I had, we, you know, we were together for the weather in Edison and I luckily got back even with the weather from Michigan at Bob in the Hood yesterday. So I feel, feel pretty lucky to, to be able to kind of move around with, you know, actually not a ton of inconvenience.But it's kind of funny, right, because, you know, talking to all of our guide buddies, you know, if you've been, you know, if you're fishing in the wintertime for muskie and things like that a lot, most these guys here in the mid Atlantic haven't been on the water for almost two weeks at this point. So we thought maybe a good thing to talk about this time was, you know, how you take time like this and you can always tie flies.But another really good thing to do this time of year is, is to get ready for the next fishing season.
Mac Brown
Oh yeah. And maybe even go through. There's, there's a whole lot of things you could do with that too.Just about maybe something that's been one of your nemesis, you know, the way you got it rigged and it's hard to reach for, maybe that's a higher priority item to put it somewhere more accessible and just think about, you know, where those things ought to be. Like where they're handy, you know, I mean, handy to get to. And yeah, there's a lot of that with cleaning your lines up.I mean, if you, if you like fish, of course you're going to have a bunch of lines for a lake, clean them all up, get them all ready to go, you know what I mean? Where you don't have to mess with that before, you know, this is a good time to be lake fishing, by the way.But it's, it's zero degrees here this morning again, so it takes all my thunder from wanting to go sit on a lake with wind and that kind of temperature. So that's not my ideal lake time.You know, normally we'll get a lot of these temperatures, Marvin, that are, you know, up, up decent weather, like 40 for a high 44. Of course that's good lake fishing, man. But yeah, there's, there's a lot of organizational things.What, what else you think we ought to cover there with that, Marvin?
Marvin Cash
Yeah, well, I would say, you know, it's a good time, you know, if you need to wash your waders and retreat them, you know, that's a great time to do it now so you don't end up doing that in the middle of season because that's, that's kind of a pain. I mean, it's not hard, but it's, you know, not fun. So better to do that when you don't have the chance of, you know, cutting into your fishing time.I would say that's important. You know, I would say, you know, you know, depending on how you have your fly boxes set up.Like I have those big, you know, they're like the size of, I mean they're pretty big boxes that then I move stuff into working boxes.So I think it's a good time of the year, you know, to go through and kind of, you know, reorganize your small nymph box, your big nymph box, your streamer box, your small dry, your big dry box. However you have them set up, get that stuff ready to go for March and April.
Mac Brown
Yeah, that's a good point.And then with the boxes, maybe think about, I'm, I'm kind of picky about weight because, you know, as a kid we used to use like, would use split shot and wrap on lead and things like that. And of course I don't know why, but I've gotten away from it where I very rarely will grab.And the main reason is because it, you know, it'll flatten the tip. It you grab a big pair of hemostats and flatten a big egg shaped weight, you've already weakened the tippet huge once it gets wet. So.So yeah, I don't really like mashing lead on any kind of tippet where we're using these small flies as much as back in the day. So maybe getting a system where you organize by weight. And I was thinking when we were talking about Waders you know, maybe the footwear too.Get some new five, eight sheet metal screws, you know, the eighth inch driver. Then you put on there and just screw 20 of them in the bottom of your cleats.Get all that ready to go too because you know those wear out pretty quick. So just do all the general maintenance. General maintenance with all this would really help be, be prepared for when it breaks because we're only.I was thinking of this when we were talking before we started here. We're really only because this, this really cold weather we have right now. It's not going to last the whole month by any means.But normally we start getting the quill Gordon's coming off here the second, third week of February. We get the earliest ones in the country here. And so it's not far away.If we start going back up into the 40s, 50s, I mean you could expect to see some big number 10 quills coming down out of these national park streams. So it's, it's not like it's doom and gloom for weeks to come. I mean it could turn the corner in just a, you know, a week away.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, funny you used to say that. I'm fishing next week on the South Holston, the Watauga, to do the, the post spawn streamer thing.And I was just checking the weather and you know, I think next Wednesday or Thursday in Johnson City, it's supposed to be 60 degrees, so that's just awesome. Cloudy and warm, but the water's cold, so it'll be perfect.
Mac Brown
That, that will be perfect. That's a, that's a great time to be out there. Oh, it really wakes the fish up too because that's one of the, that's one of the secrets.Of course, when you plan stuff as an outfitter, I mean people might not be there at the ideal time versus what is the ideal time.But I, I can say this over the years, in 44 years as outfitting as this, when you have this cold of weather and the water's down in the mid-30s, the first warm day that comes, it's going to be a good day. So you can just look at it and predict it. You know, it's like. But it's always going to be good when it warms up like that.And a lot of people don't pick it that way. I mean, there was a guy called Saturday when, you know, 14 inches of snow fell and he was four hours away thinking he was going to go that afternoon.And I'm like, no, you, you pretty much missed it because one, you're not going to get here in time. The highways. I had a state of emergency all over western Carolina. And I'm like thinking to myself, wow, this guy's really dedicated.He wants to drive through a blizzard and go stand in the water, you know what I mean? It's like, probably not going to happen. So he missed it. I think he's coming in the spring. That's what I kind of tried to talk him into.
Marvin Cash
Yeah.But you know, I would say too, like, you know, going back to your gear, you know, the other thing, like however you carry your stuff on the water, great time of the year to go through, you know, make sure, you know, you're, you know, whatever leader system you have in terms of what you like to carry that you have, you know, find where the holes are there. Find the holes in your tippet. Right. Make sure your floating is there, you know, so all that stuff. Great time of the year.You know, all these fly shops, fly fishing shows have sales. You can kind of go back and like, kind of what I call refill the groceries, right? And. Yeah, yep.And the other thing to do too is there are things that kind of don't last forever. So for example, you know, nothing worse than opening an old pair of hand warmer, chemical hand warmers and they don't get warm, right.Or, you know, I always suggest to people that they carry some kind of first aid kit with them. And that stuff doesn't last forever either. So, you know, for me, I have a big plastic tub that I keep everything in.And so I kind of go through that box, you know, like a time like this. And I'll make kind of seasonal changes.Like I won't take my winter stuff out yet, which would be like nitrile gloves, you know, stocking cap, mittens, those things. But you know, when it warms up, that stuff will go out for the summertime and there'll be a little bit of that stuff.But I think, folks, this is a great time of the year. You know, put on a ball game and get a couple beers and just put on, put on some music and drink some beers and kind of go through your stuff.
Mac Brown
Oh, yeah. Something else I thought of just now too is is this happened years ago.I would say one of my biggest pet peeves over the years, no matter what tip it manufacturer that people are using, is the fact that they got some little rubber band or something and it disappears always inside and it's freezing cold and you're sitting there trying to get some 5 or 6 or 7x and you can't find it. Mary Yard struggling your. Your fingers are like baseball bats. Cause they're purple and cold. So I made all these. This is really easy to do.Just get some elastic. You can buy the elastic, buy yourself some tubing, the clear tubing like they use for the New Zealand strike indicator.And go ahead and attach that and have the tip, it always where it's sticking out like 2 inches. So you grab it and the thing revolves and you never lose the handle. In other words, the tip, it's always right there.So no matter how cold you are, you're always going to be able to use it. You're never looking for it. And that, that. I can't remember what year that was, Marvin. It's probably 20 years ago.But that was, that was one of those real cold times in the winter. I thought I'm going to do a better system.But I still don't think there's a commercial manufactured system of like what I'm talking about, where your tippet is always there and ready. And so that's worth something.For those of you listening to, maybe think about getting your tippet organized where you're not looking for it when it's cold.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, 100%. And you know, so, you know, we've had, I guess we've had what, Marlboro and Edison. We've got a week off.You're going to be in Denver this coming week.But one of the things we decided to do was, you know, for everybody that's joining our mailing list, you know, you can find it on my LinkedIn profile. Well, not my LinkedIn profile, my bio and my Instagram.And I know you've got it on your website and you've got a QR code, you're showing people on the road.But we had a bunch of people sign up in Marlborough and Edison and we decided we were going to just kind of pick out of the hat every time we get together. And you're going to give away a casting angles book, right?
Mac Brown
That's right.
Marvin Cash
And you're going to autograph it on all kinds of cool stuff, right, Matt Brown.
Mac Brown
Oh, yeah. And you drew a winner today.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, I did. And so I, yeah, I did and used the magic Google number generator. And the winner is Stephen. Ty and Stephen.We don't have your address, but we will email you to get your address. And when you do that, if you tell Mac how you want the book personalized, he'll get it out to you. And if you turn it around really quickly.Although the reality is you're probably not going to get to him before he heads off to Denver, but he'll definitely take care of you. And then we're talking about that. So, you know, you kind of continue the journey. You're getting ready to go on your west coast fly fishing show.Junk it. Right. And we won't see each other again in person until Lancaster.
Mac Brown
That's right. I think Lancaster is the next one where we'll see each other. And yeah, go to Denver.And then I'm going to Medford, Oregon, which is not a show, but going to. To swing on the Klamath for four or five days and then, then from there I'll go to Bellevue and then back home. So, yeah, that's gonna be.That's gonna be interesting. I'm looking forward to both of those events. And also, hopefully it's gonna be a little bit more mild out there on the Klamath than it is here. Yeah.
Marvin Cash
Well, there you go. And I wanna give a shout out to everybody that you know out at Bob in the Hood. It was great to, you know, meet, see everybody.It was great to have people come up and say they listen to the podcast. Always enjoy meeting listeners. That was super cool.And you know, Mac, before I let you go, you know, I know when show season is over, you'll be back in Bryson City, you know, teaching and guiding. You want to let folks know where they can find you.
Mac Brown
Sure. The, the easiest thing is, is just the website, MacBrownFlyfish.com and it's all one word, just MacBrownFlyfish.com and that's the easiest.Sometimes people will DM on. Yeah. You gotta realize I'm not a big social media fan. I didn't grow up with it, so I'm lucky.I'm probably one of the last dinosaurs that even has it, you know, so that's easier on a website. Cause then it gives you an email, gives you a way to, you know, communicate. I'm more on into email than I am the messaging.
Marvin Cash
Yeah, I got it. So you're not making a telephone out of like two fly pucks and a piece of string?
Mac Brown
No, no. But it's just hard because stuff gets overlooked because the way that I've been, there's a lot of.I see it as a lot of issues with Instagram and Facebook and all that stuff because you get limit. Then if they're not already on your thing, then they DM you and you find it a year later. It's just a lot of stuff gets lost.So I just don't, I don't prefer it personally.
Marvin Cash
I'm with you.And so, yeah, and I would say, folks, you know, you know, keep, you know, if you're not on the mailing list, get on the mailing list, because we're going to do this, you know, every two weeks when we're together through show season. So great opportunity to pick up a copy of Casting Angles, because, you know, Mac has only had one printing, and we're getting low.So if you don't, if you want the book, you might want to grab one if you don't win, because otherwise, you're gonna have to find them on Amazon. And I'll just tell you, folks, it's cold. Tie flies or organize your gear. 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.
