The Fishery

Deerfield River

The Deerfield River is one of the most picturesque rivers in New England as it flows along the scenic and historical Mohawk Trail. The Deerfield consists of riffles and slick runs interrupted by pocket water and deep pools, all of which are chockfull of rainbows, browns, and brookies, a large majority of which are stream born. This vast diversity of water enables all types of fly fishermen to test their skills, whether it’d be high stick nymphing multi fly rigs, chucking huge articulated streamers for “hogs”, some in excess of 6 lbs, or precisely casting dries during the seasonal mayfly and caddis hatches to highly selective trout. From first time casters to world renown anglers, the Deerfield has a piece of water for everyone, not to mention more miles of secluded water that would be prevent any type of “combat fishing”. There are two sections of Catch & Release on the Upper Deerfield, both extending over 2 miles, most of which is inaccessible due to restricted shoreline access, but offers great opportunities for trophy browns and rainbows that rarely see a fly.

The Deerfield River contains multiple dams along its entire stretch that control the daily water releases to supply hydroelectric power. During such events, wade fishing becomes almost impossible, but allows drift boats to float through secluded sections of the river that rarely see any fishermen. These timely releases provide an instantaneous influx of aquatic food for opportunistic trout, allowing fly fishermen to consistently hook trout throughout the entire day. These water releases provide enough cool water to keep fish active even during the dog days of summer.

Come book a guided float fishing trip with the premier guide on the Deerfield River, Massachusetts.

Swift River

The Swift River, flowing directly out of the Quabbin Reservoir is Massachusetts’ only “true” tailwater fishery, thus providing tight line action during any month of the year with cool summer temperature and above normal water temperatures during winter months. Most anglers spend the majority of their time casting size 22 midges on 7x leaders to some of the most educated trout in the northeast in the Fly Fishing Only Section, but there is many more miles of river below this stretch that supports just as many fish that rarely see a fly. This lower stretch of water is less accessible to wade fishing, but drift boats provide excellent accessibility to these less selective trout.

Millers River

The Millers River is a great freestone stream that also contains Catch & Release areas that are heavily stocked in the spring and fall, but natural stream production is very limited due to heavy commercialization previously experienced on the river that has had lasting effects.