If a Fly-In fishing trip is on your ‘bucket list’, it is important to remember not to bring everything you own on the trip.  So, why is this a problem, you might ask?  Because you are flying into a lake and the plane you will be on can only carry so much weight at one time.  A good rule of thumb is, that your weight and your gear weight should come in at under 400 lbs.  If you can pull this off, the pilot and the outfitter will love you!  If you have more than what is alotted, you may have to pay an extra charge for it, but some outfitters may fly a little bit of gear into your camp on a mid-week check, when possible.  If you want your extra items the day you fly in,  you can hire a small plane that will take an additional 700 pounds and get it into camp right away.  It is a great idea to pack one small bag with your ‘mandatory’ stuff in it that you can always take on the plane with you, in case you have to shuffle planes or loads at the last minute. [Note, it is important that once you get all your medications in one bag that you do not leave that bag in your truck!

A SAMPLE LIST TO PACK EFFICENTLY FOR A FLY-IN TRIP:

• 2 rods and reels per man (I prefer 3 of each)
• spare line 8 lb. walleye, 15 lb. pike
• well equipped tackle box (lol)
• pliers and a jaw spreader
• mosquito coils 
• leech or worm lockers
• Fish Finder
• sunglasses with neck strap or no neck strap and spare sunglasses
• towel , soap, shampoo, toothbrush, deodorant optional
• reading glasses & a spare pair (for tying on a lure and possibly, reading)
• sleeping bag and pillow
• filet knife
• sun screen
• insect repellent
• rain gear
• Advil or Tylenol and Benadryl
• personal needs kit
• medications
• spare car keys
• flashlight

For the Group:

• Coolers to transport food and store excess in, and small day cooler for boat food
• snacks
• beverages
• toilet paper
• garbage bags
• fish filet ziploc bags
• cards
• small first aid kit
• lighters

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Here are some thoughts:  Sit down as a group and figure out your meal plan. Figure 5-7 breakfasts, 5-7 lunches and 5-7 dinners and don’t forget to include some fish meals in the plan. Costco sized condiments look great, but you will find most of their items do not work for a fishing trip unless you have a large group, say 10 guys.  If you are struggling with quantities, ask your wife to help. You are not saving money by buying a giant can of beans and then throwing away half of them!

FOOD PLANS

We have been doing fly-in trip for many years and pretty much have the grocery list down to a science, in fact we have a list for 4 guys, 6, 8 and even 10 guys as we have had those variations over the years.  Here is some of the basics we include in the menu we base our plan on:

• Beverages – Coffee, frozen orange juice, milk, (beer goes without saying).
• Breakfast Goods – Bacon, sausage, eggs, pancake mix, syrup, cereal, jam, butter.
• Lunch Material – Sandwich meat,  buns, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, cheese, fruit, cookies.
• Shore Lunch Items – Fish fry mix, brown beans, potatoes, onions, cooking oil.
• Dinners – Steak, homemade spaghetti sauce, chicken breasts, hamburgers, buns, pasta noodles.
• Produce – Apples, lemons, oranges, carrots, onions, potatoes, fresh vegetables, salad ingredients for two days.
• Miscellaneous Dry Goods – Coffee mate, sugar, crackers, chips and salsa, popcorn, nuts, salad dressing, canned vegetables, pepper, salt, garlic seasoning, BBQ sauce.
• Cleaning Supplies – Dish soap, SOS pads, toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, dish towels and cloth, matches, tin foil, kitchen sponge, sandwich bags.

HOW TO PACK FOR A FLY-IN:

Now you have figured out what to take, time to think about what to pack your gear in to.  The best thing is medium sized cardboard boxes or totes for all your food and dry goods.  They should be collapsable/stackable so when empty, 8 take up the space of 1!  Do not pack your stuff in the plastic bag the grocery clerk gave you when you bought all of your stuff.  Coolers (medium size) are good for your perishable stuff but should not be loaded with ice and canned goods as you may end up with a hernia. A good rule of thumb is, that if you can not lift it by yourself, then it will be a challenge to get it 5 feet in the air and in to the plane.  Duffle bags are fine with clothes as are mid sized suit cases.  Rods should always be in rod tubes, preferably the little 4 or 5 footers, and not the ones that are 8′ long if possible.  If a rod tube is out of the budget then make sure the rods are broken down tied together with elastics or some similar.  While you are planning your trip, you can ask your Outfitter what type of plane you will be flying in and what is the weight capacity?

TRAVEL TIPS- BORDER, BEER, TRAFFIC TICKETS, GAS …Tips for my American friends

• Gas is sold by the liter and as of 2023 was running about $1.55 per liter in Canadian dollars.  
• Speed limits are in kilometers per hour so 90 kph equates to about 55 mph.  Speeding is not a problem as long as you are not caught, or hit a moose!  While it is always fun to see a moose, you do not want to see it on your windshield.  Speeding 30 kph over the posted limit will be very expensive and your vehicle will be impounded in Ontario.
• Border guys are known for their lack of charm as a rule.  As the rules around border crossing/entry to Canada changes frequently, I suggest to all of my friends from the good old USA to check the Canada Border Services site for the most up to date rules and regs about coming into Canada.
• Bait maybe a bit of an issue, I would suggest it be purchased in Canada and possibly close to your destination. 

BAIT

I often get the question? Do I need bait?  My answer to that is “no”.  I do use worms/crawlers typically for Walleye but always catch plenty of fish without them. The problem with live bait is that it is generally require some baby sitting.  Pretty much all bait does well in June when water temps and air are reasonable to them, but once you get in to July and half of August you really need to be on your game to keep minnows alive.  Worms and leeches you can refrigerate and just take out what you need on a daily basis.  

FORTY INCH PIKE

I threw that title in to get you to read on…  For starters, late May and June are best months as “big toothy” will be cruising more accessible depths, so you are most likely to bump into one of them.  That being said, the lure that does the best over the entire year is a Johnson Silver Minnow or any silver spoon with my preference being a Williams Wabler. Both the Williams and the Johnson Silver Minnow can be cast or trolled, and the Johnson is particularly effective if throwing into cabbage where the big boys like to hang out. Rapala’s and various other hard baits are also pretty effective as are large jig heads with 6-8″ twister tails, grubs or swim baits. It certainly is advisable to check the depth of the lake you are going to in order to tailor your tackle so not to take 40 lbs of lures that you won’t be able to use because the lake is too shallow. 

In the earlier days, all of the Walleye Wanderers would drag up huge tackle boxes/bags, full to the brim with lures of every size and depth capability. It did take a few years for us to learn that most lakes north of Nakina are shallow basins with nowhere to use a 25’+ hard bait, lol. This realization has lead to smaller tackle bags and more specific color choices and types of lures over the years. In fact, while on our 2023 trip to Whiteclay Lake, I fished a 2 3/4″ Johnson Silver Minnow for nearly 5 days on one of my rods, it was just that productive! 

Everyone fishes differently, some prefer casting, some trolling, some jigging, some a combo of casting and trolling. Whatever you prefer, you will have a shot at a 40″ plus pike in the Ontario Northland and the type of lure/bait you use is simply a matter of choice. I personally believe silver is the go-to color, but I have spoken to skilled Pike fisherman like Mike Boger and he suggests brass/orange Doctor spoons are the ticket. At the end of the day, Pike are apex predators and they will eat just about anything that passes their nose, when they are in the feeding mode. 

TEMPERATURES & CLOTHING

Tricky one here, the full range of temperatures from ice out to fall can be extreme. (Temps in farenheit for my US friends) Early spring trips in late May, you may see a day or two of 40 ish weather and likely 60 to 70 degrees, but later June, July and August, you will seldom see temp’s below 50 and it sometimes gets up to 85 degrees and beyond.  Once you get  in to the fall, later August and into September, the warmer temps become quite scarce and snow can be in the air in late September and frost some nights in October is normal.  So, with that variability, how do you dress.

I like the layered approach and I am sure this concept is not new to anyone whom loves the outdoors.  It is easy to throw on a few layers in morning when it is chilly, as the day heats up I just start taking off one layer after another until I am down to my boxers and it is usually at that time, I realize I left my sunscreen back at camp!   It is always good to have some of the high tech stuff that Cabela’s/Bass Pro or other sporting goods stores sell that is waterproof, windproof, heat absorbing and heat shedding, made of bat wing or some similar ultra light material, camo and if they have it, fish attracting.  Seriously though, I have tried to purchase one good piece of high quality, technical clothing each year (at least I tell my wife it is only one piece). I look for lightweight, heat or cold specific, and durable clothing to cut down on my travel weight without sacrificing my comfort during the week. A good quality rainsuit can be a big purchase but a quality piece (perhaps Gore-Tex) will last for years and not only keep you dry but also keep you warm on cold/windy days on the lake. From good hoodies like Under-Armour Storm series, to light weight polyester tee shirts, there is a vast choice of clothing options out there. I could expound further but I think you get my drift, you will be exposed to a wide variety of weather on any given day/week and you will need at least one set of clothes that can deal with whatever that extreme is. I will post a few ideas in the Gear & Gadget section of some of the clothing I have experience with, and that I would recommend.

BEER

Drinking beer is a popular past time with anglers.  Couple of things on that:

1. It is illegal to drink in a boat, and you might get a ticket if you are caught by a MNR warden. If found to be impaired, you will lose your drivers license.
2. Beer bought in Canada is expensive (about $50 for 24 cans of Coors Light). Beer bought at the duty free works out to about half of that, so I am told. 
3. You should only fly in canned beer as the weight difference is about 12 pounds a case, and a broken bottle on the rocks vs a broken can are two different problems! Most outfitters will not be happy if you show up with bottles…Canadian beer cans are recyclable and should be kept separate, if possible. Make sure you double bag your empties for the flight out, as the pilot really does not enjoy his plane smelling like a brewery.
4.  No type of cans burn well in your bonfire and they shouldn’t be put there.
5.  If you are bringing beer from the US, check with Border Services to determine what you are, and are not allowed to cross into Canada with?

DO NOT:

• Burn garbage in the fire pit.
• Throw any type of food into the forest or off the porch!
• Leave fish guts in bucket to attract any/all wandering animals.
• Never leave garbage on the deck!
• Do not leave food or beverages on the deck, unless you don’t mind sharing your beer cooler with a big bear.
• Never pour oil or bacon grease on a nearby stump, instead put it in with your fish guts and deposit on a distant island or shoreline across the lake.
• Do not leave BBQ lid open as they flip the thing over if they are interested in the smell.  We have personally seen a bear a couple of times investigating our BBQ on the deck of our cabin.
  Sorry but there are no DO’S with bears, only DON’Ts!
• At this point I need to remind you about one of the most dangerous animals out there.  Here is how I would describe it:  it has a propensity for alcohol, has a natural talent for finding sharp and pointy things, is not scared of fire (but should be) and is inquisitive and very confident, especially when full of alcohol.  This creature could be you, or one of your group!  Just remember, if you get hurt, it most certainly will not be the same as it is at home. Don’t forget where you are, and the fact that help may not arrive very quickly…be careful!

INSECTS

Now that you have knowingly chosen to go into to the north, boreal forest, miles from civilization…there will be bugs!!! Mainly mosquitoes and blackflies but also no see ums, horse flies, and wasps, spiders and ants.
Briefly on each:

• Mosquitoes are out any time of day in the forest, or around the cabin area late in the afternoon and into the dark. Mostly a June creature, best defences are: pic coils in the cabin for after dark, bug repellant while cleaning fish in the evening and thermocells or similar devices.
• Black flies are more of a late summer beast, respond well to Muskol, Deep Woods, etc., they will raise a welt on a painless bite and can be annoying as hell when they get under your hat.
• Horse flies prefer humidity and sunshine, they are relatively easy to kill, but very annoying in their continuous efforts to bite you. There is a bit of a kick to their bite and they do not respond all that well to repellant and are really more of an annoyance, than a problem.  If you only venture out after dark you will not even see one (far as that goes, if you venture out only after dark you will not see much of anything).  
• Wasps like to hang out around the fish cleaning table/shack and often their nests are nearby.  The ones that are on guard protecting their nests have no sense of humor, and are not to be messed with.  If you think you have any issue at all after receiving a bite, bring Benadryl with you or if you have a known problem, bring an eppy pen.  
• Spiders are abound in the forest, every size you can imagine and to my knowledge none are poisonous or aggressive and respond well to a heavy foot. Dock spiders can be quite large and intimidating, keep this in mind when napping on the dock.
• Ants are simply a pain in the ass if they decide to come indoors. We had a Ant invasion one year, and woke up to Ants all over the inside of the cabin including the beds! I suggest taking a few ant traps (very light) and even a can of ant spray if you can spare the weight. Obviously ants are just a nuisance and unless you are very unlucky and visited by Fire Ants, nothing to worry about.

WATER