As wild as it seems, it's nearly September--my favorite month of the year, and the month when the most giant smallmouth seem to grace the boat, year after year. Water temps are on their way back down, overnight temps are dipping pretty low, and the dog days cicadas are...

For the smallmouth bass angler, the summertime represents one of the most exciting times of the year, when fish, big and small, will readily eat a topwater bug, creating a very visual and memorable experience. That time is upon us, now, and, until October, we'll be tak...

As I write this, the New River is on the rise thanks to heavy rains in southwest Virginia and western North Carolina, and it seems to have come at a natural break in the season. By the time the river recedes, I expect we'll be moving quickly into summer fishing. Spring...

The inaugural smallmouth camp, hosted by Charlottesville-based fishing rod manufacturer, Reilly Rod Crafters at Fariss Farms and Iron Heart Winery on the banks of the New River, was a success earlier this month, despite a strong curveball in the form of heavy rain and...

When I wrote my last fishing report, I had just finished my last musky trip of the winter season, the nights were still cold, and smallmouth fishing couldn't get here quick enough. In the last month, the trees have leafed out, we've seen our first major insect hatches,...

On May 5 - 7, 2019, Reilly Rod Crafters hosted its inaugural Smallmouth Camp at Fariss Farms and Iron Heart Winery on the banks of the New River. Eight clients from across the country converged on the cabins at Fariss Farms for two days of guided smallmouth fishing, ca...

Though the first day of spring was officially over a week ago, it's now that I'm feeling the seasons change. Water temps on the bigger warmwater rivers are reaching 50 degrees. Musky are moving into their spawning period and the smallmouth bass fishing is beginning to...

On Friday, February 1, at The Fly Fishing Show in Atlanta, Georgia, legendary, Charlottesville-based fishing guide and fly designer, Chuck Kraft, was inducted into the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians Hall of Fame, joining an impressive cast of other inf...

For the last several weeks, my weekends have been tied up with attending fly fishing shows around the country. Thankfully, last weekend's The Fly Fishing Show in Atlanta marked my last one until the South River Fly Fishing Expo on April 27 and 28. To all of  you that I...

On January 12 and 13, 2019, the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival will return to the Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia, luring over 2,000 attendants from throughout the East Coast to what promises to be the most successful iteration of this one-of-a-kind even...