Behind the boat a smallmouth bass jumps, a good size, and I tell him to hold on as tight as he can with one hand and reel in the line with the other. When he's got the fish near the canoe, it makes a last run, diving so that the rod wraps around the side of the canoe. Then the line goes slack, and I think we've lost the fish, until it explodes from the river, sending a spray of water on Brian. I dip a net beneath the weary smallmouth and bring him in. Then we release the smallmouth and watch this beautiful bronze creature shoot to the rocks below.
Gusts of wind are so strong the canoe literally flies down the river.
We catch another smallmouth at the islands, this one hitting a small spinner. Downstream, it's difficult to see over the 20-foot banks that separate the river from the floodplain called the Pioneer Valley. Occasionally we can see a field, and I'm thankful it's occupied by cornstalks that reach toward the sky. Our trip ended at Cow Bridge Brook Boat Launch off River Road, Hatfield, where a friend awaited with a car. For a sweeping view of the river, hike or drive to the top of Mount Sugarloaf, across from Sunderland Bridge.