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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-articulate-fly-1052360/s8-ep-36-navigating-high-water-mac-brown-s-strategies-for-stained-conditions
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-articulate-fly-1052360/s8-ep-36-navigating-high-water-mac-brown-s-strategies-for-stained-conditions.md
Podcast: [The Articulate Fly](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-articulate-fly-1052360)
Published: 2026-05-28T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://fly-fishing-podcast.thearticulatefly.com/s8-ep-36-casting-angles-mac-brown-fishing-high-water
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/ee971920-3db5-455a-9320-82d3c3651533.mp3
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Duration seconds: 553

## Resource

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-c…

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## Transcript

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