Every spring, millions of herring run into rivers across New England. And every spring, fly fishermen await the arrival of what follows shortly behind: striped bass.

River herring, due to their size, are not a sport fish. But striped bass, like so many other predatory fish, feast on herring. Though of greater stature, herring, like menhaden, are the sometimes unrecognized bedrock of the food system. Their dominance is limited to the krill, small crustaceans and small fish on which they feed. Mostly, they provide are the feed to seals, whales, cod, stripers, blues and other migratory species. That’s why it’s a concern that the National Marine Fisheries Council has listed them as a “species of concern.” As their ocean and inland spawning habitat has gradually been eroded over decades, their numbers have plummeted. So they go, so go many fish above them.

And so it is with excitement that fishermen look for the annual arrival of these fish as a sign that the stripers can’t be far behind. Good news came recently: the herring are in. And they seem to be in in good numbers. Striped bass — for which we’ve been waiting all winter — can’t be far behind.

This short video follows river herring from the tidal mouth of the Mashpee River on Cape Cod to (what looks like) a lake and perhaps even their spawning grounds. It’s an enjoyable, short watch, if only as a reminder that the fishing season is about to kick into high gear.