Sport fishing

Fishing at Iguéla is more about the whole experience than just the fish. It is about fishing in an environment that represents how coastal western Africa must have been before man reduced it to the skeletal remains we see elsewhere. Fishing at Iguéla is about appreciating the beauty of Central Africa, the vast waterscapes, the primal forests, the wildlife, and the spectacular fish that inhabit the estuaries. Where else can one fish from the beach and at the same time expect to share your stretch of sand with elephant and buffalo?

Loango Lodge Fishing Rules and Guidelines

An explanation of the philosophy behind some of the fishing rules.

What can one expect to catch?

What to bring

Sport fising at Iguéla, what can one expect.

The Iguéla lagoon system is approximately 220km² in extent; it is permanently open to the sea and is thus tidal. During the dry season (June – November) saltwater pushes many tens of kilometers upstream, while during the rainy season (December – May), dark-coloured, tannin-stained freshwater fills the entire lagoon except for the lower reaches at high tide. All of the local estuarine fish species are well adapted to life within this very broad salinity range; water salinity is never a factor when choosing a fishing spot. The fishing season generally runs from September to April, with the peak period being December to February.

Fishing is concentrated primarily within the lower reaches of the lagoon system (i.e. the estuary mouth and up to 8km upstream), although seasonal changes do make a considerably larger portion of the lagoon’s area very prospective. Fishing along the beaches in the surf zone is also productive. All forms of sportfishing are practiced and include spinning/plugging, fishing with natural baits (mostly various live and dead, fish baits), trolling, fly fishing, etc. Depending on conditions, location and client preferences, fishing is done from a drifting or anchored boat, from the beach (and a few rock ledges) or wading along sandbanks. A limited amount of offshore fishing is planned for the future.

Why come fishing in Gabon and why with Operation Loango at Iguéla?

Gabon is a stable country with a small population that is concentrated in a few urban centers. A high standard of living maintained by an active petroleum industry (and low population growth) has meant less pressure on the country’s other natural resources. The end result is that the forests, wildlife and fisheries are still in a relatively good to almost pristine state. Nowhere else in western Africa is the coastal environment as unspoiled as it is in Gabon. Throughout most of the remainder of western Africa the coastal forests are gone, and the population pressure on the environment has lead to gross environmental desecration.

The Iguéla area, along the southern coast of Gabon, is a scenic mosaic of gallery forest, grassy savannas, forest streams, sandy beaches and coastal lagoons, including the expansive Iguéla lagoon. A large part of this territory is included within the 1550km² Parc national de Loango along the boundary of which, Operation Loango is based.

Currently, most of the sport fishing takes place in the Iguéla lagoon system and along the adjacent beaches. Overall fishing pressure is limited to subsistence fishing by the local population and two private sportfishing operations based at Iguéla. In time Operation Loango plans to extend its fishing activities to include Olende to the north and Sette Cama to the south, as well as a number of small, isolated estuaries within the boundaries of the national park.

Sport fishing, in the true sense of the word, is a new concept in the region. Fishing camps in Gabon have for many years hosted visiting anglers from predominantly Europe, but these operations have seldom conformed to true sportfishing standards. By way of example, Operation Loango hopes to change this.