Gabon tarpon fly fishing – A new week with new clients started off being met with big storms as the last clients left and new ones arrived! The two groups of clients met on the airstrip and stories were exchanged about big fish that were lost and caught from the previous weeks’ fishing. This set a high level of excitement amongst the group, which was also compounded by some epic storms that brought the much-needed rain that Sette Cama and the Lagoon needed.
On the first two nights, the big rains caused a big push from the lagoon sucking the dark nutrient-rich water out of the mouth and into the ocean. This was an ideal setup with a pushing tide as it got dark and as sure as ‘night,’ the Threadfin bite was on. All of the group got stuck into fish, with several being caught, and guides were kept busy running between unhooking and releasing fish! As the evening progressed, you could feel that there was a special fish still waiting to come out. Right at the end of the session, this feeling became a reality when Will Chapman came tight to a good fish that gave him and the drag on the reel a good rev.
Mr Chapman was instructed to walk backwards up the beach and wind the slack down as he walked toward the ocean to aid in swaying the fight his way. He did this perfectly until a commotion arose amongst several swear words from the darkness behind where Will was. I turned around to see the soles of two feet in the air and a rod between them still winding down on the fish. It had turned out that Will had found the only log along that particular stretch of beach. Luckily, by this point, the fish had just made it over the lip, and the guides had managed to wrestle the fish to the safety of the sand and eventually into the clutches of one very happy client!
After a flurry of Threadfin, the attention turned to the Tarpon that had been seen rolling in the surf on one of the walks out to the northern point. Some mentions of Dolphins and Sharks arose when eyes were first laid on these fish, but Ewan was quick to set things straight and let the boys know that the ‘poons’ were about. Naturally, everyone was quick to grab a rod, but they were just out of reach, so the focus then turned to getting a boat anchored out in the middle of the channel, and for the group to take turns swinging feathers. Upon anchoring, it was quite clear that we were indeed surrounded by the Silver Kings as they rolled and chased Mullet furiously around the boat. I instructed the gents to hold on to their jockstraps as a bite was imminent.
Bossie, having been positioned at the back of the boat, was the first to connect, and true to form, the soft bite turned into a tea party of blasphemy as the classic case of a knot going through the eyes was heard… Luckily, untrue to form, this knot somehow managed to come right during the fight as we made it to the beach, where the stage was set for Bossie to join the elite Tarpon club! After a few heart-in-mouth moments, this was confirmed when the fish made it over the lip and onto the sand, a fish of a lifetime!
After a few quick photos, the fish was returned safely, and with the night still young, a new pair would take the hot seats for their chance at greatness. Not long after, Graig then came tight, and the quick process of pulling the anchor and getting to the shore began. This fish was big, having taken a vast amount of line of the trot. By default, this made things tricky as the fight was never in our favor.
With the bite slowing down slightly, the group decided to opt for a jungle walk in the hopes of seeing some Gorillas or Chimps mid-week. They were particularly lucky as they managed to get a sighting of a lone lowland Gorilla right at the end of the walk. The sound of him running could only be described as that of a big Buffalo, with each footstep making a thunderous sound. It was incredible that this opportunity was an optional accessory available for when the bite was off or certain members of the group would like to take a break from fishing.
The days that followed were characterized by decent downpours from tropical storms. As is usually the case, the fish took a day or two to get back into rhythm with the water temperature dropping directly after the storms. This made fishing a little tough, but as ever, Jack fishing early morning and as the sunset kept morale and vibes high as many were fooled with a plethora of lures and flies. A small popper ended up being the main culprit with the Jacks smashing them whenever a good cast was placed.
The week finished on a high with lots of Snapper caught on bait! This was done off the cabin at the mouth throwing either live, dead or chunks of bait and allowing the current and tide to drift over a rocky section. Graig, in particular, was graced with a big Snapper making up for his efforts with the Tarpon and a well-deserved victory for pushing through and fishing hard for the rest of the days. All in all, it was a belter of a week with great company, many laughs, and fish landed.
CONTACT US
If you’d like to know more about the fish, fishing, and accommodation at Sette Cama in Gabon, you can contact our destination manager Paul Stevens on 01603 407596 or email at paul@sportquestholidays.com, who would love to speak to you.
