I was amazed when I first learned just how far up the Connecticut River a striped bass is willing to travel. Situated some 50-plus miles from the mouth of the river, the Enfield dam marks the first major obstruction for shad and herring as they return to their spawning grounds. Striped bass use the dam to their advantage as they feast upon migrating baitfish. I have taken stripers as far north as the Holyoke dam, some 75 or so miles upstream from the mouth of the river, but many of the truly big fish stop in Enfield. I know of at least six fish that scaled over the 50-pound mark from this stretch of the river and have taken a few over 40 pounds here myself. The dam itself is not too spectacular these days as much of it has been damaged by spring flooding and seasonal storms and it now stands as little more than a stretch of rapids spanning the width of the river.