Swift river8/5/2023 ![]() Most states in the Northeast offer trout areas for fly-fishing and catch-and-release-only. Sight-fishing for trout in rivers and streams is a challenge and can be addictive. Overall this was a great day trip and a fun mid-summer diversion. There was no shortage of scenery or wildlife along the river. A gaggle of geese nervously passes us on their way upriver. Craig likes to use a tandem fly rig with a tiny emerger pattern fished behind a dry fly. As the fish became more active, it didn’t take long for Craig to hook up with a nice rainbow. As the sun went down below the tree-line, the activity picked up, and the trout soon began rising towards the surface. Unfortunately, the fly was destroyed by this fish, so I began another parade through the fly box. On the second cast this respectable rainbow thought it was real, and I had my first fish in the net. After rifling through half the dry flies in my box, I finally picked out a large foam bee pattern. I got a lot of looks, but not a lot of takers. It seemed that each cast would pass over at least several fish. This river is absolutely loaded with big trout, but catching them in the middle of a hot and sunny summer day is no easy feet for a beginner flycaster. This was his first trout on the fly rod, a nice 16-inch rainbow. He was the first one to hook up, after getting a hot tip from a nearby angler that they were hitting grasshopper patterns. Like myself, Ian recently got a new freshwater fly rod, and this was his first go with it. My friend Ian Campbell joined us on the trip. These anglers are all here for good reason however, this place is filthy with trout. The river gets quite a bit of fishing pressure, and even mid-week we were greeted by a small crowd. If you’re looking for complete solitude, the Swift river might not be for you. I would soon find out, however, that these fish are well educated, and just because you see a lot of them, it doesn’t mean you’ll catch a lot of them. The adrenaline began to surge, and I tied on a fly as fast as I could. Dozens of them scurried out of the way as we worked upstream. As I entered the river, I nearly stepped on a 16-inch rainbow trout at the edge of the bank. The upper region of the river is fly-fishing only, no bait allowed, and 100% catch & release. After a short 5-minute walk in from the parking area, we arrived at the Y-pool. This cool water source keeps the river chilled in the summer and warm in the winter, which creates ideal trout habitat. The water drains in at the bottom of the reservoir, which provides a steady supply of cold water to the river year round, with seasonal water temperatures ranging from 37 to 61 degrees. The river originates from the base of this massive dam. The Swift river originates at the Quabbin Reservoir, which is a massive and deep body of the water.
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