When I was a kid, I often had the end-of-holiday spleen. As I got older... sorry... as I gained experience, I got over it. Except on the occasion of two trips to the USA that I'd taken with my family, and which were the realization of childhood dreams.
I've just boarded the plane back from my last vacation, and I'm feeling as spleen as I rarely do....
The Exo, that had appealed to me a long time ago... but I had other priorities at the time.
I had treated myself to a swordfish guide for my 10th wedding anniversary. Then another in Florida with my son a few years ago. But nothing more...
Since I got intensely back into fishing over the last 6 years, it's been a regular thing on my mind.
Discovery without the surprises... BANCO! It's decided, I'm leaving. That took me, what, 2 minutes?
I'd been preparing for months: selecting tackle, blanks, lures, arbitrating on this or that subject. Hours of viewing on Youtube, dozens of questions to Jibbé, who must have found me a bit heavy-handed at times... What can I say, I don't like improvisation, and on a subject you don't know, you ask yourself thousands of questions... I'd done so much of the trip beforehand, preparing for it, that at one point I feared I'd be disappointed by the reality...
Aside from our exchanges to prepare the trip, Jibé and I don't know each other, but we discovered each other at Roissy: it's cool, we'll get along fine... In any case, two guys who ride rods are bound to have a lot to talk about... Our two acolytes Jacques and Patrick arrive from Strasbourg. The group has been formed, and now it's time to get going.
We embark, sleep badly, disembark smeared in La Réunion, re-embark for Nosy Bé and arrive in Africa, with all that this implies in terms of atmosphere and change of scenery. In "fishing trip", there are 2 words, "trip" and "fishing"... And personally, I like it! Fishing is the goal, of course, but so is the notion of discovery. Culture, way of life, change of scenery... And on that score, it's a direct win! We overtake and pass dozens of Tuk-Tuk, honking their horns, stopping without blinking, leaving without warning... The people
walking along the side of the road, stores next to each other.
I have a thought for certain "bobo ecologists" who praise the "circular economy" as "the solution for the planet": take a trip to Africa, guys, you'll see that you haven't invented anything, it already exists! We arrive at Manga Bay - the "shore base" of the Radama Fishing Camp - completely out of step. We're greeted by Vainqueur, the superintendent who organizes everything, knows everything. He'll be great, available all week long, until it's pitch-black on the last night. But still perfectly on time to offer us our last breakfast and finalize the return logistics. Special dedication to Winner, don't change a thing! After a quiet evening and a restful night, Sunday is the first day of fishing. We leave Nosy Bé and head for the village on the tiny island of Antanimora, some 40 miles to the southwest. We don't worry about a thing, our stuff is taken care of, just like at ClubMed; the catamaran transfers stuff and supplies from the camp. We enjoy our first day of fishing.
We come aboard and get to know the captain and deckhand, from their little (sur)names, "Merguez" and "22". They too will be perfect all week. Assembly preparation, rod retrieval and return between spots, reel spooling, daily loading and unloading of equipment... Top service, all week long! All you have to think about - and think about - is fishing! The throttle is
let's go fishing!! Frankly, at this moment a kind of feeling of fulfillment comes over me. One of those rare moments in life that you remember, time stands still, everything stops... "Fuck, this is it, I'm here, what a kick". This first day will be devoted to casting. The fishing consists of looking for fusiliers whites, a small fish of around twenty centimetres that rises to the surface when predators chase them off the bottom. Sight fishing, popper or stick bait. You can come across different species of Carp, including the GT, Mada's star, but also Giant trevally, barracudas, tazards, tunas, and all sorts of other fish-eaters. I've seen videos... Read about Giant trevally... I think I know what to expect... Barely gone 10mn, first stop, we launch.... and touch! Right away!!! You can expect stuff, but trust me, it's way under the radar! Scored by the sound of suction as the popper passes, I have the rod snatched from my hands, go forward, catch myself as best I can to what I can find (the freeboard...) and hang on to the rod as best I can... It's whistling on the brake, even though it's on tight, I can't believe it!!! I emerge from this half-second of total surprise when I hear: "Ferre! Ferre!" I shoot like a brute!... well, that I thought.... "Again!" someone shouts at me! I pick up the thread of the thing, one more shoe... the butt in the balls (afterwards, you think about it!), I get organized and the fight begins... I bridle. What violence!!! The Black Hole Graphite bends, I pull, it goes up, 22 to the line, it's on board! My first GT! To the angels... Fucking booooooooonnnn !!!!! Photo, release, we're resetting... Then new quest for another bank of riflemen, we launch, and do it like that again. This stalking aspect is super interesting. You alternate between questing and hyperactive fishing. I'd been warned, after a few hours, I understand that physically, it's going to be hot. But I don't care, that's what I'm here for! We didn't keep stats on species or quantities, none of us are here to make a score, or "better or more than the other". We're simply here to have a blast... and we're having a hell of a blast!! The euphoria invades the boat, the alternating phases of scanning the surface and unleashing throws and fights, it's just jouissif! The day goes on like that... It shoots into the shoulders... already... but we throw, again and again...
Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose...
17:30, we arrive at the island of Antanimora, in the Radames Archipelago. A piece of rock measuring 4km by 2km, the beach as a landing stage, a postcard setting...
Get settled and we'll meet at the Sea bass, dinner served at 19:30.
Tomorrow, breakfast 06:00 and fishing departure 07:30.
Time for everything... Enjoy
the village, enjoy the Sea bass, enjoy the fishing.
I can already feel the trap... How can I not come back afterwards? Visit the hut, big surprise! When you think "fishing camp" you think "à la root"... well no!! Clean, super clean, elevated from the ground, with the terrace and couch overlooking the sea 30m away, bed, mosquito net, toilet, shower, nothing missing. I take my shower, pee poo, we change and zou, to the Sea bass! That's it, that's really going to be the program for the whole week. No stress, we're enjoying everything, it's all happening by itself, we're not thinking about anything... How good it is!!! First night, we sleep, very well too! Day 2, we get up hyper motivated, breakfast on the terrace. To put it simply, we've been eating superbly all week. Hyper-complete breakfast, packed lunch with cooked dishes (not a silly dry snack...), great dinners, including some of our fish. Sushi grouper - while it was swimming a few hours before - is not bad at all for aperitifs! Here we go
day two, and so on every day. We popper and cast in the morning on fusiliers banks and hunts; at noon we head out to the drop-off to jig (low tide, less current, easier to jig); we troll for swordfish along the drop-off while we eat; and we popper again in the afternoon... Merguez takes great care to position the boat correctly, given that all 3 are beginners in EXO: you can feel that he also chooses the right spots for their level. All this kind of attention. In fact, as the week progresses, we can see the evolution: he's moving further and further away, choosing spots that are a little "riskier" (less bottom, closer coral spuds), as we make progress in managing the fights. We'll do it all: GT and Blue jacks, Big eyes, Grouper, Barracudas, Red Carp, Pink Job, Sharks, Snappers, Yellowfin tuna... and I'm forgetting some... to all techniques! A totally crystal-clear program, just a dream week! The last day arrives so quickly... We go back the way we came, pack up the luggage, the sailors take it to the catamaran, we go fishing, we arrive at Manga Bay by the beach, the stuff is already in the rooms. That's it, we've got to get back... We'll have a night on the town, dinner, Sea bass, African atmosphere. "What the hell am I doing here?" The
spleen, again... One thing's for sure: I'll be going back... A big thank you to Jibé Lugger for suggesting this trip. Without it, I would have missed out on this unique trip! And to everyone on site, guides, stewards, cooks, housekeepers, everyone at the top of their game!
Acknowledgements:
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