S8, Ep 61: Smallmouth Chronicles: Matt Reilly's Secrets to Success in SW Virginia

Episode Overview

What happens to a Southwest Virginia smallmouth fishery when storm after storm rolls through a watershed for weeks on end? On this Southwest Virginia Fishing Report from The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with guide and writer Matt Reilly of Matt Reilly Fly Fishing for a late-summer update on a region caught in a relentless rain pattern, with flash floods dumping 6 to 7 inches of rain in an hour on parts of the watershed while the New River holds up comparatively well thanks to its lake-fed flows. Reilly breaks down how he reads clarity river by river and tributary by tributary rather than trusting a single gauge, and why the New River's roughly 95 percent lake-water makeup gives him options even when stream flow numbers spike. The conversation moves into an unusual bright spot for the fishery: several years of strong smallmouth recruitment have produced an abundance of 0 to 3 year old fish in the 11 to 12 inch range, but a noticeable gap in the 12 to 15 inch numbers class, meaning bigger streamers and bugs are drawing pecks from undersized fish rather than solid hookups on true numbers fish. Reilly and Cash also look ahead to the seasonal transition bearing down on the region, with smallmouth season winding down over the next month to six weeks, musky bookings already filling for November and December and striper season deposits coming in for the spring run. It is a practical, conditions-first snapshot for anglers planning a Southwest Virginia trip around shifting water and a fishery in transition.

Key Takeaways

• How to read water clarity on a tributary-by-tributary basis rather than trusting a single regional gauge when a watershed is hit by scattered storms
• Why the New River's largely lake-fed flow gives anglers a clarity advantage over tributary-driven systems even when overall stream flow spikes
• Why an unusually strong multi-year smallmouth spawn has created a numbers gap, with plenty of small fish but fewer 12 to 15 inch bass than normal
• When to expect the seasonal shift from smallmouth to musky in Southwest Virginia
• Why booking musky, striper and smallmouth trips well in advance matters as Reilly's calendar fills a year or more out

Techniques & Gear Covered

Reilly's late-summer program currently leans on moving-water tactics suited to diminished clarity and elevated flows, including streamer fishing and aggressive topwater presentations on cloudy, rainy days. He notes that with the current numbers-class gap, fishing bigger streamers and bugs sized for mature smallmouth is producing more short pecks from undersized fish than solid hookups. On the highest-water days, Reilly will fish well past the flow range most anglers consider viable, targeting mid-river slack water and bank structure where fish concentrate once flows push two to three times normal CFS.

Locations & Species

The report centers on the New River in Southwest Virginia, where smallmouth bass are the primary late-summer target and the New's largely lake-fed flow gives the system a clarity edge over tributary-driven waters even during heavy rain events. Conditions have been shaped by a stretch of intense, localized storms moving through the Johnson City to Wytheville corridor, producing everything from blown-out tributary water to sections holding good clarity on the same day. Reilly also flags the upcoming seasonal shift, with musky fishing picking up through the New River system from November into winter and a spring striper run drawing early bookings as smallmouth season winds down.

FAQ / Key Questions AnsweredHow do you find fishable water on the New River during a heavy rain pattern?

Reilly watches radar and tributary-specific conditions rather than treating the watershed as one system, since some tributaries blow out quickly while the main New River can stay comparatively clear. Because roughly 95 percent of the New River's flow originates from lake water upstream, the system tends to hold clarity better than more tributary-fed rivers even when overall stream flow numbers rise sharply.

Why are anglers getting short strikes on big smallmouth flies right now?

Several consecutive years of strong spawning success have filled the river with 0 to 3 year old smallmouth in the 11 to 12 inch range, while the 12 to 15 inch numbers class that anglers normally target with bigger flies is thin this year. The result is a lot of pecks and grabs from fish too small to get the hook, since standard bigger-fly tactics are sized for the missing age class rather than the abundant younger fish.

How high is too high to fish the New River with flies?

Reilly will fish flows well beyond what most anglers consider viable, including stretches at two to three times the typical CFS range for good fishing, though success rates can drop noticeably at those extremes. At very high flows the fish concentrate into mid-river slack water and bank structure, which can still produce opportunities if anglers focus their presentations there.

When does Southwest Virginia transition from smallmouth to musky season?

Reilly expects a fairly abrupt seasonal shift over the next month to six weeks as smallmouth fishing wraps up and musky season ramps into November and December. His musky calendar is already booking well into the winter months, alongside early deposits for the following spring's striper run.

Related Content

S8, Ep 54 - Weathering the Storm: Matt Reilly on Adapting to Summer Fishing Conditions

S8, Ep 46 - Low Water, Big Bugs: Matt Reilly's Southwest Virginia Fishing Update

S8, Ep 59 - Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report: Captain Brian Shumaker's Late Summer Strategies

View all Southwest Virginia Fishing Reports with Matt Reilly

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