Gabon Tarpon Fishing

My favourite saying has always been, “Fishing is just a means of scratching the surface of something so vast and beautiful.” For years, Gabon had been an itch that Franna and I were eager to scratch. Finally, everything aligned, and we set out to explore one of the last pristine fisheries on the African continent. Together with three former clients from Franna Fishing – Nick, Chris, and Jarred – we began preparing for what remained an unknown. While we knew that in-season Gabon tarpon fishing was beyond belief, we were arriving early, just before the heavy downpours. At the Hotel Tropicana, we huddled to discuss strategies and plan how best to tackle the week ahead.

Tarpon Battles on the Northern Beach

When we touched down just outside camp, the smiles on the faces of those landing and those leaving were in competition with each other. The air in camp was thick with humidity, the sand was soft and squeaky. The team meetings recommenced, with camp experts Ollie and Chris K. Everyone was eagerly grinding teeth for our first evening session North of the mouth. It took a while for us to find our feet in the soft sand, throwing heavy spinning gear and figuring out the lay of the land. Chris, our friend from Australia, squealed down the beach as he was being dragged into the shore break by a tarpon. It was then when Ollie began pointing out the porpoising tarpon in the deep hole before us. Chris successfully held on to four tarpon in a row, for a decent amount of time. But all the stretching, pulling and sweating was to no avail, which we were starting to learn was just a serious flaw in the personality of tarpon in general. Ollie pointed to a silver figure about 100 m down the beach, luckily I was the closest in proximity. A straight cast and Ollie began the countdown, “three… two… and one”. There was a second or two when I was disappointed because the countdown was done, yet it was only two seconds too early. Nothing can prepare you for the sheer force of a tarpon that didn’t second guess your lure. I held off the celebration until the tarpon hit the beach, then we all started jumping up and down giggling like high school girls.

The Elusive Nature of Tarpon

The days that followed were packed with tension as we chased the seemingly unattainable. With over 50 tarpon losses, the score was looking grim. Finally, the balance between luck and skill resulted in both Franna and Chris landing their fantasy fish. Both chaps were in awe of the prehistoric dinosaur which beached before them. They both had smug looks on their faces, probably suffering from an acute overdose of endorphins and serotonin.

Exploring Loango’s Rich Biodiversity

We had kept our expectations low for the off-season. Contrary to our expectations we spent the next few days obsessing, and fretting over these menacing Tarpon, who had zero regard for our feelings. In between evening surf sessions on the Northern beach, we dabbled in getting our species list up. The numerous snapper species of Loango gave a good account for themselves on both bait and artificial. The Jacks stayed true to their habitual smash-ups along the forested banks; often charging into your feet as you watched the air raid of terns, herons and pelicans. The threadies which were en mass the week before us, were now elusive to us with only two specimens between bucktail and live bait. I can’t speak for those drooling over tarpons, but personally, micro-jigging in the ceaseless estuary system was my favourite. This is perhaps the most effective way for upping your species count, and getting caught with your pants down on light tackle in a habit that breeds monsters.

A Week of Adventure Comes to a Close

Just like that, our week was coming to an end. As soon as we felt we were getting into the rhythm and truly melting into this serene landscape, it was time to leave. We had survived the jungle, and now it was time to head back to the zoo.

If you’re ready for an unforgettable adventure in Gabon tarpon fishing, don’t wait – book your trip now and discover the thrill of this wild and beautiful place for yourself.