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

Episode Overview

In this Southwest Virginia Fishing Report from The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with guide and writer Matt Reilly for a late-June conditions update covering the bug bite, streamer strategy and musky gear. With water running very low and clear across most drainages — and a near-94°F heat spike bearing down on the region for the Fourth of July — Matt explains why the current conditions are still worth fishing hard. Damselflies, dragonflies and terrestrial insects are out in force, and in technical low-water scenarios, Matt argues that surface bug presentations become the most reliable path to a bigger fish on Southwest Virginia rivers. The approach requires patience and timing: he describes starting the morning with streamers while fog limits visibility on the flats, then feathering into surface presentations as sunlight penetrates and fish become more active and visible in shallower water.

The episode also branches into musky territory with Matt sharing details from a Hatch Magazine rod review he just published on the new Redington Big Game 11- and 12-weight fly rods. He breaks down why the 12-weight's grain window (550–700 grains) makes it function as a two-hander, and flags its all ceramic guides as a landmark feature — the first time a major manufacturer has run ceramic guides all the way up the blank, something boutique builders like Reilly Rod Crafters and Chippewa River Custom Rods have long recognized as essential for musky fly rod design. Matt walks through the aerial casting sequence he uses with two-handed setups — sidearm to tease the head out, elliptical overhead to shoot — and covers the Scientific Anglers Custom Cut line as the tool he reaches for when he needs to reach the upper grain windows.

Key Takeaways

• How to build a daily game plan around low, clear water by starting with streamers in the foggy morning window and gradually transitioning to surface presentations as sunlight arrives and fish activate on flats.
• Why low, clear summer conditions on Southwest Virginia rivers can actually work in your favor, making surface bug presentations the surest route to a larger fish in technical water.
• When to recalibrate your expectations around the adult crayfish molt cycle — and why Matt saw that window arrive roughly a month earlier than its typical late-June/early-July timing this year.
• How two-handed musky rods expand the physical and tactical playbook, allowing heavier and bulkier fly designs that single-hand rods can't realistically turn over, while also improving ease of casting for the angler.
• Why ceramic guides all the way up the blank matter on a musky rod, and what the Redington Big Game 12-weight signals about where mainstream manufacturers are finally catching up to the sport.
• How to execute the sidearm-to-elliptical aerial casting sequence with a two-handed musky setup, using the Scientific Anglers Custom Cut line's color change as a practical cue for when to shoot.

Techniques & Gear Covered

Matt describes a two-phase low-water strategy: streamer fishing in the overcast, foggy morning window to capitalize on reduced visibility and fish willing to chase, then feathering into surface bug fishing once the sun gets up and fish become active and visible on the flats. Damselflies, dragonflies and terrestrial patterns are identified as the go-to presentations in late June for drawing bigger smallmouth in technical conditions. The Redington Big Game musky rods — an 11-weight and a 12-weight — anchor the gear discussion, with the 12-weight designed around a 550–700 grain line window and capable of two-handed delivery; Matt's primary critique is its 9-foot length versus the 10-foot standard he's come to prefer, though he views the rod's all ceramic guide construction as a meaningful advancement from a major manufacturer. On the line side, the Scientific Anglers Custom Cut line is the only SA option Matt identifies for reaching the upper grain windows: you cut the charcoal head back to your target grain weight, leaving a fluorescent yellow running line as a visual cue — once you see a foot or two of yellow at the rod tip, it's time to shoot. Two-handed casting technique is covered in detail, with Matt walking through the sidearm sweep to tease the head out incrementally before transitioning to an elliptical overhead stroke to deliver the fly, a method that makes 40–50 foot casts accessible to average anglers and 80-plus-foot casts achievable for experienced big rod casters.

Locations & Species

This report covers Southwest Virginia, with a recent rainfall update noting some new water to northeast Tennessee and the high-country trout streams in that region. The primary fishing conditions being discussed are late-June low-and-clear flows across most lowland drainages, with heat building and no meaningful relief in sight ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. The summer target species in Southwest Virginia is smallmouth bass — fished through a mix of topwater, terrestrial and streamer presentations depending on time of day, flow and light conditions.

FAQ / Key Questions Answered

Why do low, clear water conditions favor topwater bug presentations for smallmouth in Southwest Virginia?

In low, clear water, flats become sight-fishable and fish spread out into shallower zones where surface activity is easier to read and exploit. Matt explains that when bugs are an option in these conditions, they become the most reliable route to a bigger fish — more so than baitfish or crayfish patterns that typically do more work in higher, dirtier flows. With damselflies, dragonflies and terrestrials active through the summer, the insect menu gives fish consistent visible targets above the surface, and a well-presented topwater bug or terrestrial in technical water can outperform power fishing techniques that work better with more water volume.

When should you make the switch from streamers to topwater on a low-water early-summer day?

Matt's approach is to default to streamers early and let conditions tell him when to transition. On the morning of recording, fog cover persisted until around 9:30 or 10:00 a.m., keeping visibility poor on the flats where sight fishing is the real advantage. He waits for sun penetration before committing to bug fishing, since successful topwater presentations in that shallow technical water depend on fish actively moving toward the fly — which requires warm, clear conditions rather than the overcast low-light window that often favors streamer fishing.

What are the practical advantages of two-handed fly rods for musky fishing?

Two-handed setups reduce physical fatigue substantially on what is already one of the most demanding days of casting in fly fishing, and they expand the fly design options available to the angler. Matt notes that fishing with a 650-grain line on a two-handed rod allows him to use bulkier, heavier fly patterns that produce different action profiles — patterns that would be genuinely difficult to cast with a single-hand rod. Longer rod length also improves the figure-8 maneuver at the boat, giving anglers a better, less fatiguing lever to trigger strikes.

What do anglers need to know about the Redington Big Game 12-weight as a musky tool?

The rod's online listing as a 12-weight undersells what it actually is: it accepts a 550–700 grain line, making it a functional two-hander despite its 9-foot length. Its defining feature is that it's the fi