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About Matt

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.

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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.

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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. 

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How We Operate

Angling journeys vary greatly. And there are a great many guides that operate very different businesses, offering different approaches to anglers with different goals and values. The importance of the energy that's created in a boat by the folks in it as they approach the water cannot be overstated.

 

I take great pride in guiding the way that I fish. I will always place adventure and the opportunity for trophy fish and special experiences above the easy, average option, unless it's clear that the latter route should be taken. I do not guide in conditions I wouldn't personally fish, and I don't launch the boat without confidence in the possibility of success. The business we run is intended to be a long-term one built on passion and relationships with special places, people, and creatures, and I relish every opportunity to share that with you.

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Where we live in the Southeast is a region of incredible diversity. This diversity allows us to fish 365 days a year, and gives us the opportunity to study, learn from, and utilize different fisheries throughout the seasons when they're prime. Such versatility is the key to the success of our business, and the constant learning, innovating, and exploring that it necessitates is what drives us every day.​

Matt Reilly Fishing Guide
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