Industry Partnerships
Sponsors & Partners
The gear behind the instruction — and the trust behind the gear.
Great teaching requires great tools. But more than that, it requires an honest relationship with the equipment you put in your students' hands and recommend to the anglers who trust your judgment. Every brand represented here has earned that place through years of use on the water, in the classroom, and in conditions that separate what works from what merely looks good in a catalog.
National Advisor — Scientific Anglers & Temple Fork Outfitters
Mac Brown serves as a National Advisor to two of the most respected names in the industry — Scientific Anglers and Temple Fork Outfitters. These relationships go far beyond endorsement. They are working partnerships built on decades of field experience, hands-on instruction, and a genuine investment in moving the sport forward.
Years of teaching at Western Carolina University provided a unique opportunity to push the boundaries of what fly lines and rods are capable of — conducting studies in university labs that informed real advancements in line design, rod performance, and the mechanics of how casting equipment actually behaves under fishing conditions. That kind of rigorous, curiosity-driven testing doesn't happen in a marketing department. It happens when someone who teaches 250 days a year takes what they see students struggle with and asks the people building the equipment to do better.
The result is gear that has been shaped, in part, by the same casting principles taught in every lesson and school here in Bryson City.
Advisory Roles
National Advisor
Scientific Anglers
One of fly fishing's most storied names in fly lines and leader systems. A working partnership built on decades of field testing, university lab studies, and a genuine investment in advancing the science of casting.
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National Advisor
Temple Fork Outfitters
High-performance fly rods designed to perform at every level of the sport. TFO's commitment to accessibility and quality aligns with the belief that great instruction deserves great tools — at every price point.
Visit website"The best equipment doesn't just perform — it teaches. When a rod loads correctly and a line turns over the way it should, the angler feels what right is supposed to feel like. That feedback is irreplaceable."
Brand Ambassadors
Trusted on the Water
Mac Brown is proud to represent the following companies — not because of a contractual obligation, but because these are the tools he reaches for when the fishing matters and the instruction demands the best.
Patagonia
Gear and apparel built with as much integrity as the wild places it's designed for. A company whose commitment to conservation mirrors the values at the heart of everything taught on these rivers.
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Regal Vise
The standard by which fly tying vises are measured. Precision, durability, and a grip that doesn't let go — qualities that matter whether you're at the bench or streamside demonstrating a pattern to a student.
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Whiting Hackle
Quite simply the finest fly tying hackle produced in the world. When the fly has to be right, the feather has to be right first.
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Maxima
Leader and tippet material trusted for its consistency, strength, and performance across the full range of conditions found on Southern Appalachian streams and beyond.
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Ross Reels
American-made fly reels built to last a lifetime on the water. Smooth, reliable, and worthy of the rods they're paired with.
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Grundéns
Waterproof outerwear that performs in the conditions most anglers would rather not think about — and that guides and serious anglers depend on when the weather turns serious.
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Fish Pond
Thoughtfully designed packs, bags, and accessories built for the way anglers actually move through the water and the landscape. Functional, durable, and made with environmental responsibility in mind.
Visit website"These partnerships reflect a simple principle: the gear recommended here has been tested under real conditions, evaluated through the lens of instruction, and found worthy of the anglers who will use it. Nothing is here because of a catalog deal. Everything is here because it works."
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