THE SMALLMOUTH TRAIN IS ROLLING
For the first time in almost a decade, we were able to enjoy a relatively full spring smallmouth season. Moderate amounts of...
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Matt Reilly
Apr 28, 20213 min read
SPRING SMALLMOUTH FISHING IN FULL SWING
In the month since our last fishing report, in true spring-in-Virginia fashion, we've seen just about everything--high water, cold water,...
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Matt Reilly
Jan 27, 20213 min read
TYING FOR SPRING
To be completely honest, I often put the fly rod down and throw a spinnerbait when the water is higher than usual, and with any...
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Matt Reilly
Nov 4, 20203 min read
THE CAST & BLAST--RULES OF THE RIVER
If October is a month of transition, November is the month when we embrace the new season. Squirrels have been legal game for two months....
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Matt Reilly
Oct 7, 20202 min read
FAREWELL TO SUMMER
The world is changing. The leaves are turning. Consecutive cold fronts are cooling the rivers, and the smallmouth and musky are in...
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Matt Reilly
Aug 10, 20202 min read
THE BEAT GOES ON
We're officially in the Dog Days in southwest Virginia--the peak of summer--and good days on the river have been rolling steady. Heavy...
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Matt Reilly
Jul 3, 20202 min read
A GREAT START TO THE SEASON
It's been an interesting year in every sense of the word, and it's difficult to believe that we're already living in July--well into the...
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Matt Reilly
Jun 4, 20203 min read
TRUCKIN' ON TOWARDS SUMMER
We've fallen out of the habit of publishing regular fishing reports because our guiding operations were halted for a spell during the...
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Matt Reilly
Jan 3, 20203 min read
2019 IN REVIEW
The older I grow, the less I care about material things. Sure, as an angler, material things—such as boats, gear, etc.—can facilitate...
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Matt Reilly
Nov 25, 20192 min read
FALL FISHING IN FULL SWING
Fall is halfway gone, and it's safe to say that conditions have been a total contradiction to last fall. Low, clear water and warmer...
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Matt Reilly
Aug 25, 20192 min read
THE GOLDEN HOUR OF SMALLMOUTH SEASON
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...
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Matt Reilly
Jul 24, 20191 min read
BUG SEASON IS HERE
For the smallmouth bass angler, the summertime represents one of the most exciting times of the year, when fish, big and small, will...
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Matt Reilly
Jun 10, 20192 min read
Smallmouth Season Off to an Exciting Start
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...
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Matt Reilly
May 21, 20193 min read
INAUGURAL REILLY ROD CRAFTERS SMALLMOUTH CAMP A SUCCESS
The inaugural smallmouth camp, hosted by Charlottesville-based fishing rod manufacturer, Reilly Rod Crafters at Fariss Farms and Iron...
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Matt Reilly
May 10, 20192 min read
Spring Has Sprung!
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...
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Matt Reilly
May 10, 20191 min read
Reilly Rod Crafters Hosted Smallmouth Camp Report
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...
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Matt Reilly
Oct 25, 20182 min read
SUMMER FISHING RECAP
Late summer proved a difficult time in southwest Virginia. The rain was heavy and the rivers were full more often than they weren't. With...
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Matt Reilly
Aug 1, 20181 min read
THE BEST IS YET TO COME
The last month has proven hot and cold. Fluctuating water levels that flirt with the high side of ideal before bouncing up again,...
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Matt Reilly
Jun 30, 20181 min read
TOPWATER SEASON IS HERE
After a long spring of high water and unfishable flows, the temps are breaking 90 and the rivers are clearing up. And the smallmouth are...
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Matt Reilly
Jun 13, 20183 min read
A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
High water. It’s the bane of any river fisherman or fishing guide, and I’m sure I’ve opened my last three columns bemoaning it. When the...
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