[Lard Almighty]

For me the highs were very high, and the lows were very low. I did get a PB channel cat and brown trout, and experienced both the best bass fishing day of my life at Lake Champlain, and the best trout fishing day of my life on the West Branch (made all the better by being in the company of my dad).

Then there was the float trip down the West Branch where we followed a band of mud down river and caught nothing. Followed by the fishing trip to Lake Champlain that was over before we even took a cast, thanks to our guide skipping town two days before.

Good or bad, I could never complain about the company. The year kicked off right with the NJF Opening Day at Duke Island (I only wish the fish had been notified). Catfish Night Out was another classic, with beer and ball-busting being flung around faster than the chicken livers. I traded trout tips with shucker when we busted up on some small-water trout in the spring. Then there were the epic hikes with Doug Vitale as we tried to unlock the mysteries of the Manasquan River (it's a mudhole; mystery solved ). Andy and Wilson were great company at the West Branch, and we all put a hurting on some big West Branch browns.

Even when the fishing wasn't so good, the smiles never faded. I can only hope to be so lucky next year. Here's to another memorable year of freshwater fishing.