Episode
S8, Ep 46: Low Water, Big Bugs: Matt Reilly's Southwest Virginia Fishing Update
- Podcast
- The Articulate Fly
- Published
- Jun 26, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 771
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
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 Takeawa…