Testimonials
A big thank you to our first guests, who agreed to be part of the very first season at our camp.
It was not easy to place their trust in a small local business, without the logistical or promotional support of an agency. They are our only shareholders.
Here is what they had to say…
There are three of them: Bruno, Rémi and Alain. They, too, are orphans from Gavilo, a camp that never recovered from the Covid period and where a renovation project was never completed…
So they decided to return to Iguéla, renting rooms at the ANPN Brigade’s “Case de passage” in the village. All they needed was a boat and a boatman… They contacted Ogans at the end of 2024, just three weeks before construction began on the Bangué Lodge bungalows…
I saw from a distance that work had started on a bungalow, but it was still only at the foundation stage. Ogans was making concrete blocks. The place has real charm, right by the fishing grounds and in the heart of the jungle.
It was a shame we could not stay there. Being based on site would have saved us all the repeated trips back and forth to the village, not to mention the fuel costs.
We caught some huge jacks, reds, a few croakers and guitarfish, as well as a few powerful bites that ended in break-offs. I think they were sharks…
We caught the most fish surfcasting from the point on the park side. One evening, it was like a real fishing competition. We could barely keep up with all the runs.
Ogans is great, available and knowledgeable. He did an excellent job and made every effort to ensure the fishing was successful. And congratulations to him. What he and France have managed to achieve with this fishing camp is incredible. They deserve to succeed.
Bruno
Alain & Gérard, two brothers devoted to Iguéla
I first discovered Gabon and its lagoons in 1999.
Since then, I have made 43 fishing trips there, including around fifteen to Iguéla. I could not accept that Gavilo had disappeared.
Unfortunately, my budget did not allow me to stay at the other fishing camps in Gabon. So I contacted Christian and France, whom I already knew well, and we agreed on a price for a stay at their small, locally run fishing camp.
I had often thought that someone should find a way to make the most of such an exceptional location, right at the mouth of the lagoon.
All it took was the courage to do it.
I had prepared myself for a fairly basic camp, but then they built two bungalows, then three, and gradually transformed the site into a proper fishing camp, which my brother and I had the privilege of being the first to experience in February 2025.
What can I say without sounding excessively complimentary and therefore less believable? Simply that we have been back three times since…
Alain
Olende, Ozuri, Sette Cama, Iguéla… For the past 25 years, as a keen sport fisherman, I have explored all the lagoons of Gabon, a country I have fallen in love with.
For my two most recent trips, I set down my rods and reels at Bangué Lodge.
Never before had I stayed so close to the fishing spots or had so much freedom to choose when to go surfcasting or fish from the shore, which is what I enjoy most, while my travelling companions preferred to try their luck out in the channel by boat.
Good food, a hammock for an afternoon nap, a swim in the lagoon for a “proper shower” or simply for the pleasure of relaxing…
Somewhere between an African holiday and a passion for fishing, I discovered an incredible place!
Gérard
Experienced fishing travellers, Laurent, Pascal and Stéphane came from Savoie and Antibes…
Back from a week of fishing at the mouth of the Iguéla Lagoon, staying with our friends at Bangué Lodge, in search of Captain Plexiglass.
Mission accomplished. Right in the middle of the rainy season, the humidity hit us hard!
We did not exactly come from nearby: car, plane, boat, 4×4 and pirogue were all needed to get there. It was a long and tiring journey, but once you arrive, you completely switch off and disconnect.
And to top it all off, we were lucky enough to see elephants, buffaloes and hippos in their natural habitat. Magical.
Pascal
Alexandre and Robin, father and son, came from Abidjan for 10 intense days of multi-species fishing.
Casting, surfcasting, fly fishing, jigging, we tried it all. We even went hiking in the forest, sacrificing the morning fishing session!
Threadfins, red snapper, jacks, croakers, guitarfish… and even a shark weighing around 60 kg, caught while bottom fishing with a live jack. We brought it onto the beach before releasing it.
As for the tarpon, it was all about the thrills: 15 takes, 3 missed fish while surfcasting with yaboï as bait, one baby tarpon on the fly, and the others while casting.
What an incredible fish, and still just as difficult to land. We also had our share of bad luck, just like on our final evening, when we lost yet more tarpon. But we did release two beautiful threadfins weighing 18 and 22 kg.
With the rain and lightning causing trouble, we had to head back… right when the fishing was at its best!
The place is beautiful and the staff are friendly.
Alex
New Year’s Day and a fishing and safari weekend for Chantal and Thierry, a couple from Libreville looking to reconnect with nature and enjoy some memorable wildlife encounters…
The scenery is absolutely stunning, and we saw elephants, monkeys, buffaloes and crocodiles. A magnificent safari that I would definitely recommend.
Christian also offers a pirogue trip on the lagoon, which is very enjoyable. We had the chance to see monkeys up close, as well as hippos.
It is also a great fishing spot, although I only fished in the channel… 11 threadfins and 4 tarpon over the weekend, with 2 landed and 2 big ones lost after breaking the line.
Thierry
One evening, right in the middle of the channel, I had never seen so much activity: fish were jumping everywhere!
It is also worth mentioning the excellent welcome we received. Our room was beautifully prepared, with flowers, towels folded just like in a luxury hotel, a portable fan, a mosquito net and fresh water supplied every day…
And France is an excellent cook. We thoroughly enjoyed every meal, although we would have loved to taste some grilled threadfin.
Next time!
Chantal
Daniel and Baptiste: the father swears by 80 lb tackle, while the son is always keen to try his hand at light tackle, at his own risk…
After having stayed at Missala in Sette Cama and then Gavilo in Iguéla, both of which have since disappeared, as well as camping at Olende, I could no longer afford a fishing trip to Gabon. The transformation of Ogans’ small local camp into a proper fishing camp was therefore a real opportunity for me, especially since my son, two friends and I were able to take advantage of the reduced four-person rate.
Of course, the comfort is not that of a five-star hotel, but the cleaning and laundry are done perfectly, and the large basin used for the African-style shower is filled with fresh water every day.
Well done, ladies!
I really appreciated Féfé’s efforts to vary the meals for my son and me, as neither of us likes fish! And congratulations too for the excellent breakfast.
And after all, the fish are the same for everyone, and they certainly have not left Iguéla…
Unfortunately, despite all the bites, I am still chasing my record tarpon. I lost every single one!
Daniel
First evening, first casts, bingo! The first tarpon of the trip! And for me, my first tarpon ever, on my third trip to Gabon and Iguéla, having already visited when I was 15 and 17…
All right, they were not monsters. The monsters came to say hello, or good evening, with spectacular jumps and acrobatics, sending my lures flying…
One bad memory: I broke my ultra-light Pepper Illex rod, the one I normally use for what my father calls our “little fish” back home, such as zander, perch and pike, while trying to show off with a small jack hunting right in front of the camp…
You might say you do not come to Gabon for “light fishing”. Well, actually, you do!
My light-tackle casting sessions in the middle of the afternoon, in the remote corners of the lagoon that Jean-Roger showed me, are among my best memories. Dozens of fish, mostly red snapper.
So yes, bring your heavy 80 lb rods for fishing the mouth of the lagoon, but do not forget to pack your lighter rods for trips deep into the lagoon while your friends are having a nap!
Baptiste