Massachusetts NFC Assists MassWildlife to E-Fish Swift River...

**Massachusetts NFC board member Jeff Moore (left) and Josh from MassWildlife…**

The Massachusetts chapter of NFC helped MassWildlife e-fish the Swift River in the central part of the state. The project was led by MassWildlife Coldwater Fishery Resource Project Leader Adam Kautza. Other MassWildlife personnel in attendance were Connecticut Valley District Aquatic Biologist Brian Keliher, Walt Tynan, Leah Derleth, and Josh and Jeremy whose last names escape us.

While heavily stocked with nonnative rainbow trout, and likely the most heavily stocked stream or river in the state, and home to some outsized nonnative brown trout, the Swift River is inarguably Massachusetts’ finest wild native brook trout stream. The e-fishing results prove that...

Unfortunately, social pressure and decades of stocking precedent make it nearly impossible to change course and manage the river for wild native brook trout. This is because stocking and nonnatives is what we have promoted for generations.

As arguably the most popular river fishery in the state, realistically, the best we can hope for in the near future would be a Winsor Dam at Quabbin Reservoir to Bondville Dam no-kill regulation on brook trout. Closing the primary spawning area upstream of Route 9 to fishing and wading seasonally would help prevent spawning disruption and protect redds and juvenile brook trout as well.