Our first trip of the year to Gabon couldn't have started any better. Just minutes into our first session on day one, as we cruised onto the estuary, a massive shoal of big Tarpon exploded across the surface. The action was immediate — rods bent, reels screaming — and we managed to land two solid fish while losing a few more in the chaos. A dream start.

From past experiences, I know it can pay off to go fishing in countries marked by political unrest and civil conflict—places the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against visiting. In such areas, fishing pressure is reduced, and the fishing improves. The fishing here was nothing short of extraordinary, and all advice not to go was nonsense.