The beautiful Wasted River of New Hampshire

Dan Rodricks

Oct 1

I call this beautiful New Hampshire waterway Wasted River, and while that might seem like a harsh name, I think it's appropriate. The Swift River in the village of Tamworth should be a prime habitat for trout, and it should be a destination fishery for fly anglers. But it's not, and thus a wasted opportunity.

The Swift at Tamworth should not be confused with the much longer Swift that runs along the Kancamagus Highway on the way to the Saco River.
The Swift at Tamworth – "Wasted River" – runs along Routes 113 and 113A. It flows right through Tamworth, and there's a fly-fishing-only section between the 113A bridge downstream to the 113 bridge.

I have made two trips to this gorgeous river, both in September, and have been disappointed to find no fish in the most obvious places and to learn the likely reason for that: New Hampshire regulations allow the taking of fish – two per day.
There's no way the Swift at Tamworth should be a stocked, put-and-take stream. The Granite State is full of places like that. The Swift at Tamworth deserves to be managed as a catch-and-release stream. Once stocked with adults or fingerlings, all varieties of trout would thrive in this stream. It's cold. It's clean. It has plenty of tree canopy. It has long, deep pools, and plenty of cover along its banks. Just look at the photos that accompany this post. In short, it appears to be a perfect habitat for trout. If it was managed the way it should be, the Swift would be a year-round fishery for fly anglers.
It appears that the thinking has not evolved much in New Hampshire when it comes to designating special habitats for trout to thrive and reproduce. Stocking fish in lakes, ponds and rivers is easy. Re-establishing historic fisheries is harder. It means carefully managing the river for trout and enforcing rules so that anglers who are accustomed to taking fish respect new regulations to protect them.

Hey, I'm just an angling tourist. I don't live anywhere near the White Mountains. But I've visited many times, mostly in the Pemigewasset area, and I've been disappointed with the river fishing every time. It makes no sense to waste a few miles of cold, clear trout habitat like this. The state should consider a special designation for the Swift at Tamworth. Try it. You might be amazed at two things – how the trout thrive and how anglers come from near and far to fish these beautiful waters.