The Samaki Club
Once upon a time in Nairobi, Kenya, there were a formidable, dedicated bunch of blokes who called themselves “The Samaki (aka Fish) Club”.
Among them were Phil “Mazor” Rodrigues, the late John Goes, Diamond Mike Fernandes, the late Jules Fernandes, the late Derek D’Mello, the late Sidney Machado, the late Hipol Fernandes, the late Peter Fernandes, Norman Da Costa, the late Steven Fernandes, the late Stas Martins, Tyrone and Reynold D’Souza, Freddie Costa Fernandes and lots of others who this mzee can’t recall.
We fished all around Kenya but our “big day out” was always to Stoney Athi, south of Machakos. We usually met at the Railway Goan Institute on Saturdays. The main task of the junior members was to ensure that the senior members got home in good time only to be woken up a few hours later. The younger guys usually met Diamond Mike’s folks’ home in Pangani. The drivers would collect the senior citizens first and then come to Pangani and pick up the rest of the members.
On one occasion, a car bringing one bunch including Reynold and Tyrone broke down and my brother Peter ran through the bush and heavy rain and got to our camping site to warn us of the breakdown. Suitable mechanics raced there and brought them to the camp. One bunch of us usually got to the fish site early so we could set up the cookery including buying a young goat from the local chief.
Once everyone had got there most guys got cracking with their fishing rods. However, six stayed behind to make corned beef sandwiches and coffee. The next six would clean the fish for lunch. Yet another six would cook lunch. There was plenty of already ground spices, pickles, etc from all the Mums or wives.
Lunch was 12 o’clock sharp and all individual fishing would finish at 3 p.m. Perhaps the most important member of the group was Esteves Martins, our barman, who had the simple philosophy: pay up and he would serve beer. No big notes, or no money no beer, no matter how much you begged him.
At 3 pm Philo Mazor would be training Derek D’Mello in throwing the pagalle (the large circular fishing net seen in Goa and the Pacific slands. With that, we would set off to get to the club at 6 p.m. Everyone was welcome to the fish. Kenya’s independence killed the Samaki Club, like everything else.
By the way, I would not have been able to tell this story and others but for a minor miracle. I had pitched our tent in what I thought was a safe place, I had always set it up there. What I did not know was that there was a river trench inches from the tent. It had never rained before and we only got out of it because I chanced to put my arm outside the tent and I screamed water, water. I think we all said a prayer.
Without Mike there would not have been a Samaki Club.
He may have left us, but those that remain will forever remember the huge role he played in the lives of so many of his friends. When Mike moved to Canada he other fellow Kenyans (including Normand da Costa, Gilbert Fernandes, Jules Fernandes, and a host of others) wrote new chapters of fishing adventures.
One of the many things that Diamond Mke will always be remembered for is that he was always ready and willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed it, especially anyone in the Goan community who was doing it tough or one of his hundreds of friends. One of his closest buddies during his illness has been Clive D'Souza, they spoke almost every day. When Mike left for Toronto, he gave his job in Trade Winds to Clive D'Souza who is now Director of Tradewinds Aviation. Mike was also very helpful to Heather Gale's late father in the early day's of his Africa safari business. There are many, many stories like this one!
The Canadian Samaki Club:
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