After our first adventure Fly fishing at the foothills of the Aberdare mountain chain, as a follow up adventure, we decided to climb up to the top of the mountains at the peak of the Aberdare National Park.
First looks into the national park
One the thrills of this adventure was to be fishing in an area of abundant wildlife. To do so safely, we would need to bring along some Rangers with us. In particular, they one has to watch out for buffalos and Elephants, as both species are very dangerous, especially if one stumbles upon them while strolling around.
The lone elephant is a major concern actually. And there is no way to run from or fight a buffalo or elephant.
One of the tactics for Elephants, is to sit totally still and bundled up at the base of a tree and wait for it to go by. They might not see you this way…Anyway, we preferred the Ranger Option. No reason to risk our lives out there.
Our group was made up of an Italian, a Swede, a Swiss, and another Canadian who is quite familiar with the area.
We booked this amazing cabin up in the park. We had no electricity, no internet, and we had to use wood-heated hot water…for me this was like heaven.
One of the most amazing parts about the cabin was the fact that we were surrounded by animals. We could simply sit on the porch and observe wildlife anytime we wanted…quite a thrilling experience!
And certainly not something I get to enjoy often.
Animal viewing from our deck!
Day 1 – We split into 2 groups to fish different rivers. The rivers were actually too small for everybody to fish the same spot.
We went off the pick up a couple of rangers, brought them back to the camp, made up the groups, and we headed off. Right from first contact, we could tell and feel that the rangers really loved their jobs. And naturally, these guys proved to be so knowledgeable and passionate about the work they do.
The rangers expressed and so clearly showed just how much they love the animals and the nature they protect. This was a heartwarming thing to see and feel. The weekend with them was a fantastic time that I will look back on for many years to come.
The other Canadian and the Swiss fished the Chania river. This river greeted us with one of the most beautiful waterfalls. It was a perfect sample of its entire beauty.
We went down river and worked our way up stream towards the waterfall. I was lucky to reach a hardly accessible pool at the base of a small waterfall. My efforts were rewarded and I sat there for a lengthy period.
In this river, we fish for rainbow trout. I caught and released over 20 fish in the same area while the Ranger stood by me and was giving me the thumbs up while smiling with a glorious smile. I later caught up with the guys and we worked our way up to the falls while all being totally hypnotized by our environment.
We were all feeling blessed to live such an experience. And of course, we were also very happy to catch and release plenty of rainbow trouts.
After reaching the waterfall, we fished the river above it. That portion of the river is smooth. Much of the river is only accessible if we walk in the water with chest waders. And because the terrain is flatter, it is also more dangerous for elephant and buffalo encounters, we therefore stayed close to the Ranger who stayed quite vigilant while our sight drifted off into the streaming water.
Around 5 pm, we headed back to the camp to prepare a great charcoal meal while being accompanied and observed by antelopes, gazelles, and waterbucks (just to name a few).
Day 2 – The next morning, since we only had a few hours of fishing ahead of us before heading back to the city, we visited a small river 200 meters away from the lodge.
The fish population in the Karimu river is made up of brown trout. There again, we brought a Ranger along. Most of the terrain is flat, so buffalo and elephants encounters are common.
The short excursion in the little river was amazing. Wow!!!
It had to be explored while walking right in the water. I actually had to duck down below vegetation covered areas to reach some beautiful clearing. I was in a constant state of surprise because of all the different plant species. It was just simply amazing.
As you can see for yourself:
in nature
And the smells…they varied from undefinable green smells to strong buffalo poop haha.
Eventually, I reached a large beautiful clearing with another small waterfall. My heart was taken by the setting. I sat on a rock in the middle of the river and meditated a few minutes. That gave time for the trouts to settle down after the turmoil I had created from walking in to this amazing spot.
As I opened my eyes from my meditation, I could see good size brown trout swimming up and down the pool. It took a few tries and patience before finding what they were after but I eventually managed to catch and release 4 strong and colorful fish before the Ranger told me it was time to go.
As we loaded the cars to leave the Aberdare National Park, a couple of buffalo came out to remind us that it was a great idea to have Rangers with us.
As we started planning our next fishing expedition, our bodies slowly headed back to the city while our hearts remained in the wild, where we feel free.
Wondering who’s there
Wandering under the forest canopy
