Now that the season has closed (20th October)...or has nearly closed in some places i was wondering what are people's favourite memories from 2007.

I know mine has to be the 12lb springer covered in lice i got on my first outting of the year on the river Mourne..

or is the 3 i got in one day on the Faughan in low water watching every one of them through polaroids rise to the fly from their lies and suck it in.

Or was it the fish that i lost after a 2 minute fight only to hook it again the very next cast with the same fly in the same place and eventually land it...

Or was it watching fish run over the weir in their droves in August.

Or that cheeky Otter that tried to eat my lunch

Or was it simply the ability to go fishing that i'll remember and hold dear until the new season opens in 2008?

Well whats yours?

I had eight salmon this year from the Maine at Shanes Castle...last year, i didnt have a pluck from one. They were all good sizes too, in the 5-8lb range.

It was just great to see a recovery of salmon runs in N. Ireland.

i'm looking forward to the fisheries now.

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YEs it was great to see the recovery of our rivers here and i have no doubt in my mind it was due to the irish drift net ban of our coasts this year.

Long may it continue...we just have to get the estuary nets of the Foyle system now and it will be all systems go here and an extra few thousand fish a year in the rivers.

The Fisheries really got a handle on the poaching problem this year and fair play to them..its still not completely under control but they made it so much harder for them this year to get their illegal nets out...

Cant wait for the 2008 springers not really fussed on the trout fisheries anymore

Mine has been a defining moment of my fishing life, not just this season.

Wading alone on the river at midnight. I took my eyes off the game for just a moment to watch the perseids, and thump. I can still hear the white noise of adrenaline whilst playing my first seatrout. The river might have suddenly flowed in the opposite direction for all I know. Pure electricity.

Mine..First Salmon on the fly on the 30 September....Nothing for 2 years and this year. Two. One on the Spinner and one on the fly...Magic...

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Indeed a perfect moment...its something every game fly angler should experience atleast once is their lifetime...just a pity that the sea trout numbers have dwindled this last few years on the foyle system. Ive actually not bothered to night fish this last 3 seasons. But i do miss it.

lots of memories of what has often been a strange season this year.....

like you a 10.5lbs liced springer from the Mourne sticks in my mind - another 10lb liced September fish to bring it full circle

... the good fish I lost when a branch caught my dropper, taking fish and me down river until I could follow them no more

... my best ever year of dollaghan fishing - like sea trout, night fishing for them is magical

for me its a season that has gone very quickly but then again maybe that's just a sign of getting old.... still plenty of memories to reminisce over a cold winter's day or night

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Finn Gold perfection

Easy one.

Last week I took my two sons (12 & 9) out for their first days loch fishing for Salmon. Donald fished the whole day with the fly and James was official photographer, ghillie and had a few casts.
After lunch ashore we started a drift and I was just explaining that because, what wind there we had was from the north and the lack of cloud cover, there was little if any chance of a fish. I had barely finished when a 6lber took with a lovely splashy take. After playing the fish in, taking a few photos and carefully releasing the coloured hen we settled back into our casting routine. After what were obviouusly a couple of thoughtful minutes Donald asked `Dad, does this mean all of your other excuses are rubbish too?'

I might take them out again next season

Billy

I have had the most pish season....away for almost a month on honeymoon and every other weekend I have had stag dos, weddings and training courses. Then sent to London for two months and off for a long planned week's climbing in the Alps. So desperate to get fishing in that I managed to sneak a travel rod and roll up wader leggings amongst our creaking holdalls of of climbing gear....needless to say I didn't get a chance to use them!!!

Two days for Salmon - one river was a bit of a waste of time and the other was the Tummel in perfect conditions. My rod snapped bizarrely mid cast about five minutes into fishing

Have a day on the Orchy this Saturday so have one day left to turn the season around!

Fantastic Mathew, well done, both on the fish and your spot on description...