Episode Details

Episode Overview

In this Casting Angles episode of The Articulate Fly, host Marvin Cash and casting instructor Mac Brown discuss strategies for maximizing educational value at fly fishing shows nationwide. With the 2026 show season approaching, they share tactical advice on how to approach casting and tying demonstrations, turning entertainment into genuine skill development. Mac Brown, who teaches at major shows from Marlborough to Lancaster, explains why focusing on the caster's hand movements—rather than the mesmerizing fly line—unlocks the secrets to better casting technique. The conversation covers practical methods for recording demonstrations with smartphones, the importance of high frame rate video for slow-motion analysis and how to build practice habits that translate classroom learning into on-water performance. They also introduce a new foundational casting system designed to eliminate 85-90% of common casting problems, along with Marvin's process-driven approach to fishing that emphasizes building systematic habits from gear preparation through reading the water.

Key Takeaways

1. How to record casting demonstrations effectively by zooming in on the instructor's hand and arm movements rather than watching the fly line, capturing both the visual technique and audio explanation for later review.
2. Why developing a show attendance plan before arriving—including which classes and demonstrations to prioritize—transforms passive entertainment into active skill development for serious anglers.
3. When to use high frame rate smartphone settings and inexpensive tripods to create slow-motion practice footage that reveals what you're actually doing versus what you think you're doing.
4. How building systematic habits and foundational casting technique creates space to solve on-water problems and provides the baseline needed to learn advanced variations and specialty casts.
5. Why tension control connects fly tying and casting technique, making both skills more accessible when you understand the underlying principles that the best practitioners master.

Techniques & Gear Covered

The episode centers on video analysis and deliberate practice methods for casting improvement. Mac and Marvin emphasize recording demonstrations with smartphones, specifically filming the caster's hand movements, rate of acceleration and body mechanics rather than the fly line's path. They recommend using inexpensive tripods with phone mounts and adjusting iPhone settings to shoot at high frame rates, enabling clear slow-motion playback for self-analysis. The discussion introduces a foundational casting system that Mac and Marvin have developed, designed to address the majority of casting faults before progressing to advanced techniques. They also touch on the parallel between tension control in fly tying and casting.

Locations & Species

While this Casting Angles episode focuses on educational methodology rather than destination fishing, Mac Brown references his upcoming teaching schedule at major fly fishing shows across the country, including Marlborough, Massachusetts; Edison, New Jersey; Denver, Colorado; Bellevue, Washington; Pleasanton, California; and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The conversation touches on Mac's home waters in the Southeast, where warm January weather in the 60s has allowed for T-shirt fishing conditions. The episode's insights apply universally to any water or target species, as the casting fundamentals and learning strategies discussed translate across all fly fishing scenarios from trout streams to sa