S8, Ep 82: Chasing Musky in Clear Water: Matt Reilly on Retrieve Speed and Seasonal Shifts

In this Southwest Virginia Fishing Report on The Articulate Fly, host Marvin Cash checks in with guide Matt Reilly of Matt Reilly Fly Fishing as a mid-November cold front ends a stretch of warm fall weather in the high country. Reilly describes low, clear water with temperatures still in the mid-50s and explains how those conditions push musky into deeper water within good habitat, much like the early wolf packing he sees in smallmouth late in the season. He makes the case that water clarity, more than water temperature, drives his day-to-day retrieve speed for musky on the fly, and that a fast-moving streamer is nearly impossible for an interested fish to refuse in gin-clear water. He also shares how reading smallmouth, sunfish, minnows and carp in shallow water signals when a river has truly shifted into winter, and closes with an update on winter musky availability and spring trips for musky, smallmouth and striper.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Guest: Regional Fishing Report - Southwest Virginia / Matt Reilly - Fly Fishing Guide at Matt Reilly Fly Fishing (Southwest Virginia)

In this episode: Southwest Virginia guide Matt Reilly shares late fall musky fly fishing strategies for low, clear river conditions as the first hard cold front of the season arrives. Topics include how low water concentrates musky in deeper holding water, why water clarity rather than temperature dictates streamer retrieve speed and how the behavior of non-target fish signals the transition into winter.

Key fishing techniques covered: • Fast streamer retrieves for musky in low, clear water • Slower, more trackable retrieves for musky in dingy or stained water • Targeting deeper holes and winter holding water when low flows concentrate fish • Reading smallmouth, sunfish, minnow and carp activity in shallow water to gauge the seasonal transition • Rotating fly profiles and types day to day to find what musky want

Location focus: Southwest Virginia rivers and the Virginia high country

Target species: Musky (muskellunge), smallmouth bass and striped bass (striper)

Equipment discussed: Musky streamers in varied fly profiles

Key questions answered: • How fast should you strip a streamer for musky in clear water? • Does water temperature or water clarity matter more for musky retrieve speed? • How do low water levels in fall affect where musky hold in rivers? • How do you know when a river has transitioned to winter musky conditions?

Best for: Intermediate to advanced anglers interested in musky fly fishing on Southwest Virginia rivers, fall-to-winter seasonal transitions and planning winter musky or spring smallmouth and striper trips

Full Transcript:

Marvin Cash00:00:00

Hey folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of The Articulate Fly.We're back with another Southwest Virginia Fishing Report with the man himself, Matt Reilly.Matt, how are you.

Matt Reilly00:00:12

Doing?Pretty well, man.How are you?

Marvin Cash00:00:14

Just trying to stay out of trouble.And I think, you know, Indian summer is coming to an abrupt end here in a few days in southwest Virginia.

Matt Reilly00:00:22

Oh yeah, we're.We're gonna get smoked.I think this weekend with.Well, they're calling for some pretty heavy.Pretty heavy.It's not quite pretty heavy, but it's.It's going to be semi inconvenient when.The end of this week and into the weekend and then all next week.We're looking at lows in the 20s.So it's.Yeah, it's.It's coming to an end pretty quick.

Marvin Cash00:00:48

Yeah, a little snow too, right?

Matt Reilly00:00:50

That's what they say.It's kind of disappeared from the, from the forecast, any precipitation, but you know, the high country is always a roll of the dice.We'll, we'll see.

Marvin Cash00:01:02

Yeah.So I think the last time we spoke, you know, was a good time to get out.Early season muskie, they were kind of all over the place.You know, we were talking before we started recording.It's going to cool off and be cloudy.So what do you think you're going to find when you get back out on the water?

Matt Reilly00:01:15

Well, I mean it's, it's all been pretty.It water's pretty low, very clear, very normal for this time of year.But you know, we've.We've found fish.I think when it, when it is low, particularly in pieces of water that, that have is.I don't.Sort of a weird way to put it, but like shallow water that would otherwise, you know, if it was at a normal or slightly higher water level, would be like decent fish holding water and deep holes, like good winter spots and everything.You know, we'd focus our efforts a lot more precisely later in the year as opposed to pieces of water that just have a lot of consistent depth.I think when things get real low, you do tend to see a little bit of fish, you know, grouping up a little bit.I think we talked about this towards the end of Smallmouth Season too, where, you know, the sort of typical early fall, late summer wolf packing sometimes feels like it starts a little early when you have really low water because the fish just sort of naturally migrate to areas with, you know, deeper water within good habitat.So I think you're seeing a little bit of that right now on the musky front.But I don't, I don't expect those fish to shuffle around too much with this cold front.It'll, you know, usually it, usually we see a big shift kind of later in the month in November.Water temps are still in like the mid mid 50s right now.So you know, we've got another, another 10 plus degrees and downward momentum until it's like solidly winter and on the river.But you know, day to day, this fish move around a lot.I, I tell people while we're on the water and I think I've mentioned it a ton on here too.You know, best thing you can do is just pay attention to the, to the non musky fish and, and where you're seeing them.You know, if, if you're seeing smallmouth and sunfish and minnows and carp and things like that in, in very accessible locations, like shallow ish water rock piles, like if you're able to see them pretty well closer to the bank, et cetera.I mean, even, even though it is really clear, I think things really haven't like solidly moved into winter yet, you know, there will be a point at which you're just not really seeing a lot of other fish anymore and, and that's, that's a good indication that, that things have changed.

Marvin Cash00:04:13

Got it.Yeah.And that probably means we're going to have to have temperatures in the 30s for probably a good week to 10 days at least.Right?

Matt Reilly00:04:18

Yeah, it's like I said, you know, I don't know how, how quickly things are going to drop off next week, but you know, several of those days are like, you know, low at 27 and high of 43.You know, so it's, it's possible we could see a, a big drop.But right, right now, things are very, very falls right now.

Marvin Cash00:04:40

And so when you're doing kind of that low clear water game, are you fishing kind of smaller streamers with speed?

Matt Reilly00:04:47

A lot of times.I mean, I, I definitely fish faster now.You know, somebody was asking me this the other day, you know, do you tend to slow down as, you know, in, as the water gets colder as opposed to warmer?And the answer, the answer is yes.But honestly, day to day, if I'm gonna quickly change my retrieve speed, it has a lot more to do with clarity than, than anything.I mean, even, even in, in May, you know, if you had pretty dingy water, I'm gonna probably fish a fairly slow, you know, not slow slow, but like slower, kind of more trackable retrieve than like if it was, you know, the end of November.Early December, and it's gin clear out there.It's really hard to move a fly so fast that a muskie that is interested in it is.Is not going to chase after it.I would say borderline impossible.And, and so, yes, I.In the clear water, I do sort of prioritize speed over anything and, you know, just.Just kind of experimenting with different, different fly profiles and types and stuff like that day to day, just to see what.What they want.

Marvin Cash00:06:21

Got it.And so, you know, we're gonna, as you've been warning people, and we were talking before we started recording that, you know, the front end of your muskie season's pretty well booked up, but you want to let folks kind of know kind of what things look deeper into the season.And then, you know, you're going to be doing striper stuff.And, you know, I believe that you're going to have an Airbnb in Louisiana too.You want to let folks know about all that stuff.

Matt Reilly00:06:41

Yeah, I, I was actually thinking about cicadas a little bit more the other day.Well, I'll hopefully have a better update for you next time we talk.But the not.Not that, not that I'm gonna tell anybody, but maybe a yay or nay.But the yeah.So muskie season is.Is already fairly thin, especially, you know, the earlier part of the season.January, February is a little bit more opportunity.And I've been.I've been booking a bunch of days here lately, too, because we're, you know, getting into that mindset now that things are starting to get a little cooler and leaves are dropping.But yeah, you know, like, say it's always reach out.If you have any interest in anything, we'll talk about it.I like to have a conversation with folks about what their interests are and kind of the best way to plan the best trip as far ahead of schedule as possible.So always feel free to reach out no matter what time of year it is.

Marvin Cash00:07:48

Yeah, we got muskie, smallmouth, and striper in the spring, too, right?

Matt Reilly00:07:52

Yep.Everything, man.The.The.There's a lot to do.Winter, winter, spring.It's.It's easily, easily my favorite time of the year.If it wasn't for bug fishing in the summertime, I'd.I'd.I could do without most of those months, honestly.

Marvin Cash00:08:09

Fair enough.Well, you let folks know website and all that kind of good stuff.

Matt Reilly00:08:13

Yeah, websites, mattreillyfishing.com and all my contact info is on there.So feel free to reach out however you feel best.

Marvin Cash00:08:21

Well, there you go, folks, as I always say, you owe it to yourself to get out there and catch a few and, you know, book a trip with Matt.Tight lines, everybody.Tight lines, Matt.

Matt Reilly00:08:28

Hey, thanks, man.