I've been getting asked this question over the last few years and that is when the salmon will return to the Swift. The answer is who knows but not this year. Let's back cast to 2011.
As Swift veterans will remember (Newbies take note) tropical storm Irene wailed through the Valley and dumped a foot of rain on the Quabbin watershed in late August. That rain, plus the moisture from the great Halloween Snowstorm (one foot of heavy wet snow that left some towns without power for a week) caused the Quabbin to overflow just when the salmon were out of the depths and looking for spawning areas. They, and some lake trout, followed the flow and went over the spillway and into the Swift. The result - a river full of 18 to 30 inch fish that supplied sport from November through the Spring and the Y Pool was Ground Zero!!!
So, all you need is an overflow condition and you get salmon. Answer = NO. The overflow condition has to be timed with the salmon movements. The Summer of 2009 caused an overflow in July (check my blog post for that) but no salmon. Other overflow events have caused a salmon here and there but nothing like 2011. Read my posts for that 2011-2012 winter season.
The EB and the Millers are in good form and I'll be on the EB tomorrow. Maybe I'll see you there.
7 comments:
That was quite a winter. Lots of big fish and lots of high water.
DT
Hi, I have been reading your blog for some time, but first time posting so far, I came from Portugal 2 years ago and I'm situated in Lowell, any chance that you can indicate me a place to start fly fishing in the Millers?
Have been in the Swift but it's a 1h45m ride each way.
Thanks
Rui Machado
Rui,
Send me your email address to ken.elmer9.com so I can send you the Fly Fishers Guide To The Millers River. Everything you need to know is there!!
Ken
My friends and I saw a large 25"+ salmon at the bend pool on the lower swift this July. Both us and the fish were too spooked to get any real casts to it. Pretty cool to see that they can stay in the river and move around. They must have a healthy diet of fish to survive, I wonder if a brook trout parr streamer would entice them?
I always wondered if any of those salmon make a living once they are washed over the dam. Sounds like a few do and I would love to latch on to one.
I would love to latch on to one of those rascals that got washed over the dam in 2011. That would be the best chance I will ever get to Atlantic salmon fishing.
P. Adams,
Maybe some day we will have those Autumn 2011 conditions again.
Ken
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