S6, Ep 25: Southwest Virginia Fishing Report with Matt Reilly
Join Marvin Cash and Matt Reilly on The Articulate Fly for a fresh Southwest Virginia Fishing Report, where seasonal transitions are the name of the game. As Marvin and Matt discuss the winding down of musky season and the revving up of smallmouth action, they delve into the telltale signs that nature provides to signal these changes. With recent warm spells pushing water temperatures up, Matt shares his insights on when muskies get spawning on their minds and the strategic shift to smallmouth for more consistent catches.
As they pivot to pre-spawn smallmouth tactics, Matt breaks down the two steps forward, one step back progression of spring fishing. He highlights the importance of understanding the fish's instinct-driven feeding patterns as they bulk up for the energy-intensive spawning period. Matt's expertise shines as he discusses the significance of habitat, the timing of bites and the selection of flies—from bottom-dwelling crayfish imitations to mid-column baitfish patterns.
Listeners will benefit from Matt's detailed explanation on how to adjust fly choices and tactics based on the feedback from the fish, emphasizing the need for significant changes in presentation rather than minor fly swaps. In response to a listener's question, Matt provides a masterclass on his fly change progression strategy, stressing the importance of having a variety of tools for different situations.
As the episode wraps up, Matt offers a glimpse into his availability for guiding through the seasons, from the remaining opportunities for smallmouth adventures to the advance booking for next season's musky hunts.
Whether you're a seasoned angler or just getting your feet wet, this episode is loaded with valuable insights to enhance your approach to fishing in the dynamic spring season. So, grab your gear, note the patterns and let's cast into the warming waters. Tight lines!
To learn more about Matt, check out our full length interview.
Support the Show
All Things Social Media
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Subscribe to the Podcast
Subscribe to the podcast in the podcatcher of your choice.
Speaker:
Marvin: Hey folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of the Articulate Fly,
Speaker:
Marvin: and we're back with another Southwest Virginia Fishing Report with Matt Riley. How you doing, Matt?
Speaker:
Matt: I'm doing well, Marvin. How are you?
Speaker:
Marvin: As always, just trying to stay out of trouble, and we were talking before we
Speaker:
Marvin: started recording, and it sounds
Speaker:
Marvin: like musky season's winding down and smallmouth season is revving up.
Speaker:
Matt: Yep um that's that's
Speaker:
Matt: for sure we've had uh certainly the last
Speaker:
Matt: three four days of help with that you know we've
Speaker:
Matt: had some had some 70 75 degree
Speaker:
Matt: days and water temps are sliding pretty
Speaker:
Matt: quickly um and uh you know what i look for on the what i look for on the musky
Speaker:
Matt: front usually is about that like consistent 50 to 52 degree water tone um for
Speaker:
Matt: them to kind of at least get it in their.
Speaker:
Matt: Their uh little brains about spawning um
Speaker:
Matt: but uh you know more than anything it's
Speaker:
Matt: just it's from from my perspective it's a scheduling decision
Speaker:
Matt: you know i'm going to make the jump to smallmouth it's it's kind of it's kind
Speaker:
Matt: of tough to ride musky with the very bitter end and then and then hop on the
Speaker:
Matt: smallmouth train because typically what happens is the muskie fishing starts
Speaker:
Matt: to get a little more challenging as we get closer to spawn time,
Speaker:
Matt: and the smallmouth fishing can be fantastic.
Speaker:
Matt: So I tend to make the jump a little conservatively a little earlier than maybe
Speaker:
Matt: I need to, but it just helps everybody, I think.
Speaker:
Matt: And, you know, all of our other in the state of Virginia, other than the Shenandoah
Speaker:
Matt: River, all of our river muskie fisheries are being sustained by natural reproduction at this point.
Speaker:
Matt: So, you know, if it's easy to leave them alone and let them do their things
Speaker:
Matt: for a month or so and, you know, hopefully get some more fish out of it,
Speaker:
Matt: then that's what we're going to do.
Speaker:
Marvin: Yeah, there you go. And so obviously we're shifting to kind of a pre-spawn smallmouth.
Speaker:
Marvin: And I know we've talked about this before in previous years,
Speaker:
Marvin: but, you know, what should anglers expect and, you know, what should their approach be?
Speaker:
Matt: Yeah, you know, spine time is always a, it's always a, you know.
Speaker:
Matt: Two steps forward one step back kind of progression um
Speaker:
Matt: water temps are definitely on the on the upward
Speaker:
Matt: slide but you know we with these
Speaker:
Matt: 75 degree days i mean certain places we could see like
Speaker:
Matt: mid 50s temperatures this week um and
Speaker:
Matt: then you know we'll get a little bit of a cold snap and you know for the most
Speaker:
Matt: part our fish are going to wait until mid-april or so to spawn we've got correct
Speaker:
Matt: photo period and usually you know pretty rock solid 60 degree temperatures um but it's uh.
Speaker:
Matt: You know the pre-spawn period's a an interesting um
Speaker:
Matt: kind of seeding situation you do have water counts um that affect activity but
Speaker:
Matt: you also have um kind of the hormonal like instinct driven and feeling that it's,
Speaker:
Matt: you know, telling them that they've got this big event coming.
Speaker:
Matt: It's going to be a big tower expenditure and they need to, you know,
Speaker:
Matt: females need to build up egg masses and energy reserves and the males need to do the same thing.
Speaker:
Matt: Because when a male goes on a nest in mid-April, you know, he'll be there for
Speaker:
Matt: a couple weeks to a month, not really eating a lot, just more or less defending his progeny.
Speaker:
Matt: And so they, they both need some, some extra, extra reserves.
Speaker:
Matt: So, um, there's a lot of heavy feeding going on ahead of the spawn and that's,
Speaker:
Matt: you know, why the fish tend to be fat.
Speaker:
Matt: Um, you tend to get the bigger fish more than a lot of smaller fish because,
Speaker:
Matt: you know, bigger fish have, um, you know, they need to eat more to build up more.
Speaker:
Matt: And uh so the uh cooler temperatures and you know weather and as we get into the the kind of.
Speaker:
Matt: Low to mid 50s um day-to-day weather
Speaker:
Matt: doesn't necessarily affect them as much
Speaker:
Matt: as it would say in the summertime when they've got
Speaker:
Matt: three or four months to sit around and eat and not think about what's coming
Speaker:
Matt: um so you know i mean there's plenty of days in march and april you're starting
Speaker:
Matt: out in 20 some degree weather snow and rain and all that kind of thing and but
Speaker:
Matt: uh you know just know that that they have to eat, and now is kind of the time.
Speaker:
Marvin: Yeah, and I know you love streamers, but is it kind of a low and slow game?
Speaker:
Marvin: Or if you get those warmer days, you kind of fish the warmer,
Speaker:
Marvin: shallower water with a little sunlight on it, maybe with a streamer,
Speaker:
Marvin: just to kind of see if anybody's home?
Speaker:
Matt: Yeah, all of the above. The major food sources I look at this time of year are
Speaker:
Matt: not necessarily food sources,
Speaker:
Matt: but just water column uh areas i
Speaker:
Matt: guess you know you've got the bottom is always going to be important because
Speaker:
Matt: um water's still a little
Speaker:
Matt: cold and the fish are potentially coming out
Speaker:
Matt: of winter depending on on when in the year you're talking about um
Speaker:
Matt: so to that end you know big like crayfish creature
Speaker:
Matt: you kind of lures and flies and and
Speaker:
Matt: uh are always going to be important and
Speaker:
Matt: and move them pretty slow on the bottom and then you
Speaker:
Matt: know mid column stuff and even even all
Speaker:
Matt: the way up to not that far under the surface you
Speaker:
Matt: know some stuff that floats or sustains um depending
Speaker:
Matt: on how deep the water is you're fishing um but but generally bait fishy and
Speaker:
Matt: cray fishy stuff and and i'm gonna one for the fun factor and two for the ease of fishing for clients.
Speaker:
Matt: I'm always going to.
Speaker:
Matt: Pick, probably start with a streamer. Certainly if you have two people in the
Speaker:
Matt: boat, you can bracket the bite with a crayfish or a more active baitfish presentation.
Speaker:
Matt: But if it's just me, I'm probably going to pick a streamer up first and just
Speaker:
Matt: kind of play with it and see what I can get them to do.
Speaker:
Matt: Because it's more fun. It's a little easier.
Speaker:
Matt: And there are ways that you can
Speaker:
Matt: can really feel that out you know flies that that do suspend
Speaker:
Matt: pretty well that you can you know
Speaker:
Matt: you can either move real fast you know
Speaker:
Matt: jerk strip them or just really move them
Speaker:
Matt: um or you know give them a couple of
Speaker:
Matt: hard yanks and then pause them for like four or five seconds and
Speaker:
Matt: see if anybody taps them you know there's that kind of that kind of gradient
Speaker:
Matt: will allow you to figure out where the the bites at if if if you're getting
Speaker:
Matt: fish to chase and crush flies then obviously keep rolling with that if uh if
Speaker:
Matt: they need a five second pause and there's a super light bite you know maybe.
Speaker:
Matt: Maybe see how long you get away with that maybe see if
Speaker:
Matt: it progresses as the day goes on the water warms
Speaker:
Matt: up um or maybe consider dropping it
Speaker:
Matt: down a little bit and seeing if you're not getting more takes on the
Speaker:
Matt: bottom you know so it's just kind of feeling
Speaker:
Matt: them out and day-to-day things can be different and you
Speaker:
Matt: know just not uh the other
Speaker:
Matt: thing that's extremely important this time of year is understanding that
Speaker:
Matt: you know if you're doing a six
Speaker:
Matt: mile float and you don't catch a fish for two hours
Speaker:
Matt: um you need to be real critical about
Speaker:
Matt: the habitat you're fishing um and if
Speaker:
Matt: if you run into to a pot of fish and catch three or
Speaker:
Matt: four of them in five minutes take note of that too and
Speaker:
Matt: what habitat you're catching them out of because they do move around
Speaker:
Matt: quite a bit this time of year um and they will not be everywhere so um kind
Speaker:
Matt: of qualify your fly choices and um you know tactical change decisions with what's
Speaker:
Matt: what's going on what you're seeing you know um Um,
Speaker:
Matt: because, uh, it's, it's not always the fish.
Speaker:
Matt: Um, sometimes you're just not on them.
Speaker:
Marvin: Yeah, God. And it dovetails. Well, we've got a question from Ben and he kind
Speaker:
Marvin: of wanted to get kind of maybe, you know, not pre-spawn specific,
Speaker:
Marvin: but, um, you know, kind of in general, kind of your thoughts around how you
Speaker:
Marvin: approach, you know, your fly change progression when things aren't working.
Speaker:
Matt: Yeah. Um, that's a, that's a, that's a good question. and it's one that I feel
Speaker:
Matt: like I see maybe handled incorrectly a lot of times it,
Speaker:
Matt: When I'm building out a fly box, it doesn't matter what it's for,
Speaker:
Matt: but I would say maybe not trout.
Speaker:
Matt: Trout fishing in the springtime, you've got hatches, different color and size
Speaker:
Matt: dry flies will make a difference at times because the fish may key in on certain bugs,
Speaker:
Matt: and those things are going to make a big difference.
Speaker:
Matt: But if you're talking about a fish that is very opportunistic,
Speaker:
Matt: capable of, you know, I mean, this goes for just about every fish,
Speaker:
Matt: but talking smallmouth, musky, stripers, et cetera,
Speaker:
Matt: they'll eat anything from a crayfish to a, you know, eight-inch chub,
Speaker:
Matt: you know, to a bug on the surface.
Speaker:
Matt: This the where i'm building out fly locks it has more to do with building um
Speaker:
Matt: tools for different situations um
Speaker:
Matt: you know like one thing i see in musky fishing a lot is this concept of a.
Speaker:
Matt: Of a uh you know a kick and turn you know 90 degree profile show as a trigger
Speaker:
Matt: which is which which is huge, but at the same time, you don't,
Speaker:
Matt: you don't need like six different patterns and five different colors that all do that.
Speaker:
Matt: You know, you need one pretty much, um, because you also need something that's
Speaker:
Matt: going to swim or something that's going to get a little deeper.
Speaker:
Matt: It's not quite as buoyant. Um, so that you can pause for a long time and let
Speaker:
Matt: it suspend, you know, and I think about that when I'm building small mouth boxes too.
Speaker:
Matt: Um, Um, you don't necessarily need like seven different swim flies that all do the same thing.
Speaker:
Matt: Um, they're just going to take up time at the vice, um, stocking your box with.
Speaker:
Matt: So when things aren't working, it pays to have a bunch of different patterns
Speaker:
Matt: that do different things, you know, so crayfish that, that fish the bottom really
Speaker:
Matt: well, um, that sink and get down there.
Speaker:
Matt: You know, maybe a more lightly weighted crayfish for summertime conditions or,
Speaker:
Matt: or just when, you know, you want to be able to just kind of dead drift something
Speaker:
Matt: for a long period of time and not have it locked to the bottom.
Speaker:
Matt: Streamer flies mid-column flies that are going to suspend or
Speaker:
Matt: ones that are going to jig you know and then top water flies
Speaker:
Matt: are going to do different things sliders and poppers and
Speaker:
Matt: bugs and and then when things aren't working
Speaker:
Matt: you know again i guess not necessarily just talk
Speaker:
Matt: about pre-spawn but anytime you know you don't
Speaker:
Matt: want to go from one swim fly to another swim fly to another swim
Speaker:
Matt: fly you know you need to make a drastic significant
Speaker:
Matt: change in your presentation and then
Speaker:
Matt: take data from the feedback you get from
Speaker:
Matt: that you know if absolutely nothing is happening
Speaker:
Matt: on the surface then you know
Speaker:
Matt: take it down to mid column and and see what
Speaker:
Matt: happens absolutely nothing is happening then take
Speaker:
Matt: it to the bottom you know or maybe take to the bottom first you know and see
Speaker:
Matt: I would I would avoid that because mid columns just work on the fish in the
Speaker:
Matt: bottom but you know it it It pays to just ask yourself the question, what's going on?
Speaker:
Matt: And if they're not doing what you're currently doing, you need to do something very different.
Speaker:
Matt: I see in retrospect, I guess, for me, who does it a lot, that seems relatively
Speaker:
Matt: straightforward, but it's easy to get caught in that, you know,
Speaker:
Matt: well, the mergement is not working.
Speaker:
Matt: And so let's try a CK bait fish or let's try a game changer or something like that.
Speaker:
Matt: When realistically speaking, they're very different patterns,
Speaker:
Matt: but you know, they, they kind of fish in the same area and do a lot of the same thing, you know?
Speaker:
Marvin: Yeah. And I would imagine too, you kind of maybe pick the strata that you're
Speaker:
Marvin: fishing kind of, you know, this is an insane generalization,
Speaker:
Marvin: but I won't say covering water. I don't want to get in trouble for that.
Speaker:
Marvin: It is maybe kind of time of year, you maybe kind of pick where you start in
Speaker:
Marvin: the water column, you know, and it varies, right?
Speaker:
Marvin: Because we know in the summertime, right, more top, you know,
Speaker:
Marvin: pre-spawn, more bottom, and you kind of pick where you want to start,
Speaker:
Marvin: you know, based on that and then vary off of that.
Speaker:
Matt: Right and and to another point you
Speaker:
Matt: know which i thought that's where you're going to go with it um for a
Speaker:
Matt: second there um it's it's not always your fly
Speaker:
Matt: pattern like i said talking about pre-spawn fishing you know
Speaker:
Matt: it just very basically if
Speaker:
Matt: you're not around fish it doesn't matter what fly you're fishing you're not
Speaker:
Matt: going to catch them um you're not going to get chases or bumps or whatever so
Speaker:
Matt: if you've been floating uh you know two mile long you know just kind of even
Speaker:
Matt: current a couple little pockets on the bank kind of you know just,
Speaker:
Matt: maybe just get the heck out of there and go find some ledges or pockets or,
Speaker:
Matt: big boulder fields or something entirely different um
Speaker:
Matt: take the same fly same presentation that
Speaker:
Matt: you weren't getting bit on and try it in there see what happens you
Speaker:
Matt: know it's all about just gathering data changing the
Speaker:
Matt: input and seeing what the output is and and uh
Speaker:
Matt: trying to learn from that you know it's uh i i think in the pre-spawn space
Speaker:
Matt: there's a lot of this like yeah you just go out and throw a six inch bait fish
Speaker:
Matt: fly and crush five pounders all day and and that's it's it's a lot more more, um,
Speaker:
Matt: there's a lot more process and thought and understanding of the,
Speaker:
Matt: uh, the environment and the fish that goes into it this time of year.
Speaker:
Marvin: Yeah, got it. And, you know, folks, we love questions at the articulate fly.
Speaker:
Marvin: You can email them to me or DM, DM us on social media, whatever's easiest for
Speaker:
Marvin: you. And if we use your question, I will send you some articulate fly swag.
Speaker:
Marvin: And we're going to draw for some cool stuff from Matt at the end of the season.
Speaker:
Marvin: And Matt, before I let you go, uh, you want to let folks know where they can
Speaker:
Marvin: find you and fish with you this, uh, this summer, spring and,
Speaker:
Marvin: uh, you know, into the fall.
Speaker:
Marvin: And I imagine you're probably even booking musky for next year.
Speaker:
Matt: Yeah. Um, yeah, so spring, summer, early fall, um, I might have like five or
Speaker:
Matt: six days left on the small mouth, um, program, but you know,
Speaker:
Matt: things are always changing.
Speaker:
Matt: Um, schedules are always changing days for you up here and there.
Speaker:
Matt: So never be scared to ask about that. um I have I have probably booked six or
Speaker:
Matt: seven musky days for for next uh not next year next uh,
Speaker:
Matt: next season starting about mid to late october um,
Speaker:
Matt: So that is, it's not too early for that either, particularly if you want specific
Speaker:
Matt: windows, um, cause they, they do go pretty quickly.
Speaker:
Matt: Um, and, uh, yeah, trout stuff pretty much always available.
Speaker:
Matt: Um, got a couple of guys that can handle that.
Speaker:
Matt: And, uh, that's one of the, you know, I, I end up, uh, doing a lot of smallmouth stuff, March, April.
Speaker:
Matt: Um but uh it's definitely
Speaker:
Matt: prime time in the mountains over here i actually haven't i
Speaker:
Matt: haven't spent a whole lot of time doing that myself the last few years because
Speaker:
Matt: i've been so busy with smallmouth but uh we've got some great dry fly fishing
Speaker:
Matt: and some streamer fishing opportunities even on the on the mountain streams
Speaker:
Matt: um but that's that's always an option so um if you're interested shouldn't that give me a shout too.
Speaker:
Matt: And all my contact stuff's on the internet, on my website, mattrileyflyfishing.com
Speaker:
Matt: and just reach out however you feel best.
Speaker:
Marvin: Well, there you go. Well, listen, folks, it's warming up, you know,
Speaker:
Marvin: so, and on the East coast, I think we're kind of through fly fishing show season.
Speaker:
Marvin: So, you know, if the weather's nice, get out there and catch a few,
Speaker:
Marvin: otherwise spend some time at the vice and get ready.
Speaker:
Marvin: Tight lines, everybody. Tight lines, Matt.
Speaker:
Matt: Hey, thanks Marvin.
Matt Reilly
Guide | Fly Tier | Outdoor Writer
Matt grew up stomping around the warm water creeks and rivers of his native central Virginia, just a stone's throw from the James River. He's been blessed with a great many mentors, including his father, who introduced him to fishing before the age of two.
In his teenage years, Matt took his first professional venture into the outdoor industry as a freelance writer and photographer, and soon secured a weekly outdoor column in The Daily Progress' Rural Virginian.
After heading south for college and falling in love with the fisheries of southwest Virginia, Matt established his guide service in 2018. Today, he is a father, husband, USCG-licensed captain, and a leading fishing guide specializing in smallmouth bass, musky, and other predatory game fish. He speaks regularly on a range of topics. His writing has appeared in several national and regional publications like Eastern Fly Fishing, American Angler, Fly Tyer, Southern Trout, Hatch Magazine, and Virginia Wildlife. He is also an ambassador for Reilly Rod Crafters, a producer of premium fly rods based in Virginia.
Follow:
