What Is Fly In Fishing?

Fly In Fishing, in a simple description is when a group of fisherman are flown into a fishing camp, lodge, cabin etc.

Being flown into a remote location offers many advantages.

The first and most obvious reason is solitude. You can enjoy a vast part of the wilderness all to yourself and with the others you chose to share your Fly In Fishing experience with.

The second reason to choose a Canada Fly In Fishing trip is also quite obvious to most fishermen. A remote location means less fishing pressure which in turn means better fishing. The huge Canadian water shed in itself means great fishing though. The ecosystem is also kept quite healthy due to Canada’s conservation laws.

Premium fishing and solitude are two excellent reasons to choose a Fly In Fishing trip but not the only ones.

There are many types of Fly In Fishing packages:

Some outfitters simply fly you in to a remote location and drop you off. There is no cabin or shelter, you pitch a tent and totally fend for yourself. This type of Fly In Fishing trip is obviously for experienced campers only. Sleeping in a tent is definitely roughing it. Setting up a warm dry and comfortable camp site is something that takes experience.  I personally love to “sleep under the stars” but my bones aren’t as young as they used to be and the ground hurts even with an air mattress. I will offer my advice, tips and experiences on how to rough it for 7 days in the Northern Canada wilderness though. I’m a camper from way back. In fact I learned how to rough it in Northern Ontario. I went on my first Canada Fly In Fishing trip back in Spring of 1979. We always camped back then. I’ve been on many such trips since.

Other Outfitters fly you into a nice cozy cabin or lodge out in the middle of nowhere. Having a bed, refrigerator, freezer, stove, sink, shower and wood stove is definitely a luxury and often well worth the extra money. Staying warm and dry and having the extra “luxuries” allows for more time to fish as camping takes so much more of your time. Most cabins and lodges have refrigeration. Usually propane in my experience but many outfitters are converting to generators. Some places even have an ice house which makes it great to preserve your fish on the way out. Make sure to bring at least one additional cooler for your fish.

You may also find that you don’t save much money by camping in a tent. For one you have to bring lots more gear which means more weight. Most outfitters allow from 100 – 150 pounds of supplies per man. This includes everything you aren’t wearing. I’ve even had them ask me to remove my coat so they could weigh it. I imagine some guys stuff their pockets with smaller heavier items to save money on weight. Some outfitters allow you to bring more equipment but charge a penalty for each pound you go over the limit. Make sure you investigate weight limits and “penalty fees” when searching for potential outfitters. Some outfitters don’t even give a break at all for campers. They charge the same exact price to drop you off in the wilderness that they do to drop you off at a nice cozy cabin. Make sure you investigate before making a deposit.