TIPS FOR GOING ON A FLY-IN FISHING TRIP

For many avid anglers, a fly-in fishing trip is a top bucket-list item, and for good reason. If you live in an urban area, it's hard to appreciate the sheer scale of the wilderness in Ontario's Sunset Country, and the number of lakes- 70,000- is mind-boggling to most people. From the air, these lakes look like diamonds set against an emerald-green background of pine trees, surrounded by the craggy rock outcrops of the rugged Canadian Shield. As you fly over the landscape, you'll notice that most of the hundreds of lakes you pass have no roads leading in or out.

That's right: the only way to reach most of the lakes in Sunset Country is by airplane (or by canoe). All those lakes just sitting there waiting for you to reach them and try your luck fishing. The good news is these lakes have almost no fishing pressure, so you don't really need luck. A fly-in fishing trip lets you "own" one of these Canadian lakes for a week, just you, your fishing party, and a cabin in the wilderness. The boats are all gassed up and ready to go, and as you land on your chosen lake for the first time, the excitement and anticipation of the week ahead of you is almost impossible to contain. This is the mystique of a Canadian fly-in fishing experience, a trip of a lifetime that will live up to your expectations, and more. 

Locate all Sunset Country fly-in outfitters here.

Before we get into the specific advice from the outfitters, assuming you have booked a trip, let's identify why a fly-in fishing trip requires you to plan differently than if you were taking a trip to a drive-to lodge. The big difference is obvious: you'll be accessing your lake by air, and unless you can charter a separate flight just for your extra gear, limiting what you take is key from a trip-planning perspective. There is only so much room in a bush plane, and outside of larger parties, outfitters generally want to take you and all your gear into the lake together. In fact, every fly-in outfitter has a weight limit that each person in the party must follow. So the key thing to remember is to downsize your gear by at least 1/3 from what you would take on a normal fishing trip. In other words:

• Downsize your tackle box; the fishing will be so good you won't need every lure, since most of the time you'll be jigging for walleye or throwing spoons or crankbaits for bass or pike. Just about anything works so limit the number of lures you take to a small tackle box - it will be more than enough for your trip.
• Call your outfitter first to confirm per-person weight limits and get any advice they may have on preparing for your trip.
• Limit clothing to what you need; don't overpack, as clothes are bulky and heavy. 
• Protect your rods with a sleeve or tube.

When we conceived the idea for this article, we asked several existing fly-in outfitters for their top five tips on what people should do when booking and preparing for a fly-in fishing trip. Here's what they had to say:

Harald and Erik Lohn - Kabeelo Lodge and Outposts

Kabeelo Lodge and Outposts is located north of Ear Falls, Ontario, with the lodge based on the shores of Confederation Lake. In addition to the main lodge, they own 13 "fly-out" (as opposed to fly-in) outposts offering spectacular fishing and hunting. When asked why they use "fly-out" outposts rather than the more common "fly-in," Harald chuckled. He explained they inherited the term from the original owner when they bought the property; the owner said guests drive to the main base, then "fly-out" from the base to the outpost. He agreed the two terms are interchangeable, but they chose "fly-out" because it was unique compared to what everyone else called it. Harald's son Erik is the Chief Pilot and usually operates a turbo beaver. Here are Harald and Erik's top five tips when booking or preparing for a fly-in (or in their case, "fly-out") trip:

1. When booking, know what the trip includes (food? flight service? accommodations? total number of days/nights, fuel/mixed gas, number of boats and motors?). The corollary to this is: what does the price NOT include?
2. Before you book, request an itemized total cost of the trip, including taxes, freight, licenses, etc., so there are no surprises.
3. Know who provides the flight services, what type of aircraft they use, and what it includes.
4. Ask about the number of cabins/outfitters on the lake you'll be going to.
5. Lake access - are there any other ways people can access your remote lake?

To Harald & Erik, the most important things to think about and ask before you book are: According to Harald, preparing for the trip is relatively easy, and they provide guests with guidance on how to prepare. That's good advice, guys, thanks!

Chris and Jillian Manley - Delaney Lake Lodge

Delaney Lake Lodge is a fly-in lodge located north of Kenora, Ontario, on the English River System. While the lodge is on Delaney Lake, you can also access endless fishing waters on the river. Delaney Lake itself holds the Ontario record for the largest northern pike at 42.12 pounds, caught by Harry Bell in 1946!  Here are their top five tips:

1. Pack for warm and cold weather conditions! Weather in Canada can be unpredictable and change day to day. Pack layers that keep you warm in the morning but let you shed them in the afternoon as the day heats up.
2. Packing quality rain gear is a must! If you get wet in the morning, it usually makes for an uncomfortable, cold day of fishing.
3. Sunscreen: the sun is much stronger out on the water. You get rays from above and from the water's surface. Don't let a bad sunburn on the first day ruin your week of fishing.
4. Bug spray with high DEET. The bugs can be bad at times, especially in early spring. Bring bug spray so these critters don't ruin your time.
5. Pack your favourite fishing tackle! After all, you are going up north fishing!

These are good tips and are especially important because once you get to your fly-in location, you can't go and grab something you forgot from the store. While the lodges may have sundry goods for sale, this is not the case at an outpost cabin, so don't forget the sunscreen or the bug spray!

Nestor Falls Fly-in Outposts

"Fishing and friendships go together" is the modus operandi at Nestor Falls Fly-in Outposts. For over 28 years, they've taken groups of anglers into remote areas of Sunset Country for a fishing trip of a lifetime. When asked for their top five tips, NFO sent me a list that emphasizes preparation by each angler in the fishing party, with the most important message concerning aircraft weight limits. Transport Canada has strict weight limits for aircraft, and for new guests, this proves to be the most difficult task (meeting the weight limit) when preparing for their first fly-in trip. Here are their tips:

1. Make a menu for each day of your trip and shop accordingly, buying only what you need to match it. A key hint here is to avoid canned goods - so use fresh or frozen vegetables over canned, powdered drinks over canned, etc.
2. Michelle noted that because of the quality of the fishing, you don't need a huge selection of tackle. Simplify and downsize your tackle box, and make sure you include jigs, twister tails for walleye, spoons, spinner baits, crank baits, and bucktails for pike, plus a few of your "favourite" lures, because "that's all you'll need" for a successful trip.
3. Clothing is another area where you can save weight. So a few pairs of pants, shirts, underwear, socks, a warm jacket, rain gear and a good pair of shoes are all you need. Like the other outfitters, they emphasized wearing layers of clothes when it's cooler, which you can remove as the weather warms up. Take only the clothes you need!
4. Don't bring large, hard-sided coolers; they are heavy and take up a lot of room! Use collapsible coolers instead.
5. Bring a handheld GPS and a portable depth finder - you'll find these come in really handy.

Michelle wanted to emphasize how much fun a fly-in trip to a remote outpost cabin really is, so she added a sixth point: "prepare for an experience of a lifetime!"

As the author of this article and someone who has taken several fly-in trips, I can confirm it really is a trip of a lifetime. Nothing quite like owning your very own lake for a week and catching loads of fish while at the outpost! 

So there you have it: booking a fly-in fishing trip is both easy and affordable. Just think a little "lighter" than you normally do, and you shouldn't have any issues with exceeding allowable weight limits. If you need help or have a question, call the outfitter directly. They're the best source of advice in all cases. A fly-in trip is the bucket list fishing trip everyone should take at least once in their lifetime.

If you have general questions about fishing in Sunset Country, Ontario, Canada, then feel free to give us a call at 1-800-665-7567 or send us an email at info@visitsunsetcountry.com

Remember to order your Free Travel Guide and Fishing Map.