Smoked Trout If you have ever searched for smoked trout, you have probably found dozens of complicated recipes. At Makhangoa Community Camp, we approach it differently. Here, smoked trout starts with the river and ends a few metres from the kitchen. We are strictly catch and release on the Bokong River. The only exception is...
African cubera snapper African cubera snapper was the phrase on everyone’s lips this week in Gabon, even if not everyone knew it yet. A mass migration from the lower Albany area of the Eastern Cape arrived in a familiar cloud of laughter, beer, and voices all sounding suspiciously like Ed Truter. Many of the group...
Tarpon in Port Gentil If you’re researching Tarpon in Port Gentil, this week summed up exactly why this fishery rewards patience, good timing and anglers who stay switched on. We welcomed back Mr Saraya and his close group of friends for their third African Waters trip, having already fished Tanzania and Sette Cama. Familiar faces,...
Mountain Holiday When you commit to a Mountain Holiday at Makhangoa Community Camp, you quickly learn that December does not follow a neat plan. It follows weather, water, and people. If you are already thinking about December 2026, this is what the festive season here actually looks like, from my point of view. A ‘when...
Fly Fishing Show If you’re based in North America and thinking about fishing further afield, The Fly fishing Show this winter is a good place to slow things down and talk properly. We’ll once again be attending The Fly fishing Show in the USA in early 2026, following on from a great run of conversations...
Surf Fishing Surf Fishing has a way of revealing itself slowly in Sette Cama. This past week in Gabon felt like a turning point. Stable water, heavy cloud building through the afternoons, and the first proper rain feeding the lagoon. The jungle has shifted back into that deep, saturated green, and you can feel the...
Megalops Atlanticus When anglers talk about tarpon, they usually say the name with a grin. Scientists call them Megalops Atlanticus, and over these two weeks in Port-Gentil, that name carried real weight. After a long stretch of late rains and frustrating wind, the pattern finally shifted. Proper rain arrived, the wind backed off, and suddenly...
Safari Fishing Safari Fishing is the phrase that keeps coming up in camp, and this week summed up exactly why. With only two weeks left in the season, the valley felt settled, confident, and quietly electric. You could sense that mix of familiarity and urgency. Everyone knew time was running short, and nobody was wasting...
Fishing Snacks If you enjoy fishing snacks, you’ll appreciate why birthdays at Makhangoa Community Camp often start with something warm and familiar from the village. When it came to celebrating Kyle McDonald’s birthday, I took on the early-morning mission to fetch fresh amagwinya before anyone else was awake. What Are Amagwinya? Amagwinya (sometimes called vetkoek...
Bokong The early-season mood on the Bokong shifted the moment the second group arrived. You could sense it in how quickly everyone settled — return anglers slipping back into familiar rhythms and first-timers feeding off the buzz. The river was running high and cold after solid rain, but the yellows were already pushing upriver with...
