I was at the Maury River in Southwest Virginia with a Cub Scout Pack and one of the boys saw this spider. Several of the parents think it's a brown recluse, but I disagree. I took some pictures then walked off -- the Scouts swear that the spider actually got into the river and quickly walked away across the top of the water! I didn't see that, but I thought it might be helpful in identifying it, if true....

here are some sites on spiders

http://forsyth.ces.ncsu.edu/files/library/34/misid-brownrecluse.pdf

Identifying and Misidentifying the Brown Recluse Spider (http://dermatology.cdlib.org/DOJvol5num2/special/recluse.html)

Brown Recluse Spider (http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pcspiders.htm)

Looks like a Hobo spider. The size is about right for this time of year.

Hobo Spiders (http://greennature.com/gallery/spider-pictures/hobo-spider.html)

It's not a violin spider.