sneak_e_pete Posted February 10 Report Posted February 10 Hi all, hope everyone is having a good winter. Looking for some recommendations on a family fly-in trip. Will be taking my 16 year old son, 14 year old daughter and 12 year old son. I find it hard to wade through the internet with all of the options so looking for some recommendations first hand. Here is what I am looking for: Have been on a few trips where 100 fish days were the norm. Looking for outstanding fishing (walleye mainly) Ok with rustic. We do not need anything fancy, but want an operator that takes care of equipment and where things are in good repair. Price - I know there are a ton of lodges at $2,000 per person, but I need something around $1,200 per person. Ideally within 10 hours of Toronto (not a must have....but preferred). I don't want to single out, but I looked up Cochrane Air and the reviews really weren't that good. Feel free to PM me with any first hand experience. This is a stretch for me to take everyone....not something I can do regularly so I really want the location to be perfect so I can focus on special time with my kids. Thanks a lot in advance for any help you can offer.
Rizzo Posted February 10 Report Posted February 10 That sounds like fun! I could never get my kids to fish more than about 4 hours at a time so don't see anything like this in my future. Hope you find a spot and create some amazing memories with your kids
fishdawg Posted February 11 Report Posted February 11 We recently did family trip wife daughter (7) son (14) with Cochrane Air.. highly recommend them They have many lakes to choose from Fishing is fantastic & good rates for families They have some lakes with newer cabins Call Cory & he'll help you find the right spot
Terry Posted February 11 Report Posted February 11 Here is a link to my trip with Cochrane Air. sorry many photo and videos can’t be seen now but you will get the idea https://ontariofishingcommunity.com/topic/46077-terrys-fly-in/#comment-492606
CrowMan Posted February 11 Report Posted February 11 Years ago I took my two kids (10 and 12 year old boy and girl at the time) with my buddy and his two kids (the same age and genders) for a week up on the Albany River with Leuenberger's. Non-stop action for eater size Walleye, plenty of 36"+ Pike and even some nice Brookies in the feeder streams. Miles of beautiful water to explore and a nice beach at the camp. At the time the cabin and boat/motors were in tip top shape. It was a trip that my kids still talk about and say was their favourite...and since then they've been Salmon fishing in Rivers Inlet BC, flats fishing in Belize, Mexico, & Bahamas, and off-shore fishing in Costa Rica. I see these days that a 7 day trip to the Albany is under $1500. Nakina is about a 13 hour drive from the GTA. https://www.leuenberger.ca/ 1
BillM Posted February 12 Report Posted February 12 Beteau Lake would be a good idea. Unlimited walleyes and big gators, can also fish for sturgeon if you want to. I fished it with a different outfitter back then but Gray Wolf I believe runs the camp now. Mike Borger would be the man to talk to for recommendations. You can find him on Facebook.
Big Cliff Posted February 13 Report Posted February 13 (edited) Not to hijack this thread but I would love a trip fly in or not for some specks. So if anyone can help out with suggestions it would be appreciated. I am 78 so long paddles or portages aren't what I am looking for. Trophies.... well I would rather get lots of fish and enjoy the fight than one or two fish. The only other thing is I intend to bring home my limit so a strictly catch and release place is not even going to be considered. If I am going to pay that kind of money for a weeks fishing, I am going to bring home some fish to tease my friends and neghbours😊 Edited February 13 by Big Cliff 1
BillM Posted February 13 Report Posted February 13 (edited) 17 hours ago, Big Cliff said: Not to hijack this thread but I would love a trip fly in or not for some specks. So if anyone can help out with suggestions it would be appreciated. I am 78 so long paddles or portages aren't what I am looking for. Trophies.... well I would rather get lots of fish and enjoy the fight than one or two fish. The only other thing is I intend to bring home my limit so a strictly catch and release place is not even going to be considered. If I am going to pay that kind of money for a weeks fishing, I am going to bring home some fish to tease my friends and neghbours😊 If you love brookies, go do the Sutton. Stay in Alberts camp and catch as many 3-5lb brookies as your heart desires. Nothing else like it on this planet. Edited February 13 by BillM 1
Big Cliff Posted February 13 Report Posted February 13 3 hours ago, BillM said: If you love brookies, go do the Sutton. Stay in Alberts camp and catch as many 3-5lb brookies as your heart desires. Nothing else like it on this planet. Thanks for the information Bill. I did start looking into it but it seems most of the trips offered involve "floating the river and camping out". At my age walking down to the dock and getting into the boat is an adventure lol. As a younger man I might have been able to handle something like this but not now. I need a quiet, comfortable place where I can fish without too much effort, have afternoon naps, and just relax. I have caught my share of monsters and enjoy the fight of a 1 lb speck as much as anything else I have ever caught. 😊
akaShag Posted February 13 Report Posted February 13 2 minutes ago, Big Cliff said: Thanks for the information Bill. I did start looking into it but it seems most of the trips offered involve "floating the river and camping out". At my age walking down to the dock and getting into the boat is an adventure lol. As a younger man I might have been able to handle something like this but not now. I need a quiet, comfortable place where I can fish without too much effort, have afternoon naps, and just relax. I have caught my share of monsters and enjoy the fight of a 1 lb speck as much as anything else I have ever caught. 😊 Hearst Air Service offers float trips and trips in to Hawley Lake, where Albert's cabins are located: https://www.hearstair.com/sutton-river-specs/ I agree, Cliff, a float trip once would have been just the ticket, but those kind of activities are in my rear view mirror. But the HAS Sutton River prices are north of what the OP was looking for.... Doug 1
CrowMan Posted February 13 Report Posted February 13 (edited) 1 hour ago, Big Cliff said: Thanks for the information Bill. I did start looking into it but it seems most of the trips offered involve "floating the river and camping out". At my age walking down to the dock and getting into the boat is an adventure lol. As a younger man I might have been able to handle something like this but not now. I need a quiet, comfortable place where I can fish without too much effort, have afternoon naps, and just relax. I have caught my share of monsters and enjoy the fight of a 1 lb speck as much as anything else I have ever caught. 😊 I've done a couple of corporate trips to Reserve Beauchene in Quebec. Not a fly-in and not a far drive from North Bay. They have a bunch of different lakes on the Reserve including many with good populations of Brook Trout. They manage the lakes and have their own stocking program. Its basically like a private club. On one lake (in early June), in one day, the two of us put over 2 dozen Brookies in the net, with a few over 18". The lodge is first rate...it's all-inclusive, they take care of everything. It's far from roughing it. There was a house-keeping option too, if I remember correctly. If you want to go all out and spend the kid's inheritance, check out Minipi Lodge in Labrador....it's been on my bucket list for a while. Edited February 13 by CrowMan 1
CrowMan Posted February 14 Report Posted February 14 3 hours ago, akaShag said: Hearst Air Service offers float trips and trips in to Hawley Lake, where Albert's cabins are located: https://www.hearstair.com/sutton-river-specs/ I agree, Cliff, a float trip once would have been just the ticket, but those kind of activities are in my rear view mirror. But the HAS Sutton River prices are north of what the OP was looking for.... Doug They recommend that you bring a 12 g slug gun for that trip....apparently lots of big white bruins about...that'll keep you on your toes when you take your afternoon nap.. 1 1
Big Cliff Posted February 14 Report Posted February 14 11 hours ago, CrowMan said: I've done a couple of corporate trips to Reserve Beauchene in Quebec. Not a fly-in and not a far drive from North Bay. They have a bunch of different lakes on the Reserve including many with good populations of Brook Trout. They manage the lakes and have their own stocking program. Its basically like a private club. On one lake (in early June), in one day, the two of us put over 2 dozen Brookies in the net, with a few over 18". The lodge is first rate...it's all-inclusive, they take care of everything. It's far from roughing it. There was a house-keeping option too, if I remember correctly. If you want to go all out and spend the kid's inheritance, check out Minipi Lodge in Labrador....it's been on my bucket list for a while. Thanks, that sounds about my speed.i will look into it today. 1
BillM Posted February 14 Report Posted February 14 13 hours ago, CrowMan said: They recommend that you bring a 12 g slug gun for that trip....apparently lots of big white bruins about...that'll keep you on your toes when you take your afternoon nap.. Only need to worry about the 12g if you're floating down the river by yourself. If you book with Albert, he takes care of everything. His outpost camp is also located on one of the best bend pools I've ever seen lol. Cliff, Quebec sounds like it might be a better solution from what I've read here.
CrowMan Posted February 14 Report Posted February 14 (edited) 5 hours ago, Big Cliff said: Thanks, that sounds about my speed.i will look into it today. Another place you may want to take a look at it is Blue Fox Camp in Algoma. I haven't been myself, but a couple of buddies were there a few years ago and had a great time. Some other food for thought. A few years back we drove up the James Bay Road. It's a "highway" that runs up the east side of James Bay in Quebec, that's the furthest north you can go by road in eastern Canada. It was constructed to facilitate the building and maintenance of the huge hydro-electric projects up there. It starts in Matagami (9 hours from the GTA) and goes 600km north up to the small outpost of Radisson, where there's a campground and lodge with excellent fishing (Brookies, Lakers and huge Pike) on one of the reservoirs. In between there is nothing but wilderness...one gas station at just past the half way mark....but absolutely nothing else. There are several primitive unserviced campsites along the way, some with gravel boat ramps on lakes (that had good trout fishing too). The reason I mention this trip is, almost every single river or creek we crossed and stopped to fish had Brookies....lots in the 12"+ range. We just pitched tents along the way, but if you rented yourself a nice RV and towed a tinner, you would have a fabulous couple of weeks of wilderness fishing in relative comfort. Edited February 14 by CrowMan 1
akaShag Posted February 14 Report Posted February 14 1 minute ago, BillM said: Crowman, stop giving me ideas! LOL! You and me both............🙄 1
CrowMan Posted February 14 Report Posted February 14 18 minutes ago, BillM said: Crowman, stop giving me ideas! LOL! I'm actually in Mexico right now, and this thread has me thinking of Trout...lol. I'm not much of one to lie around the pool or beach anyway. Got up early and walked over to the lagoon behind the hotel. Managed to hook a little Snook....photo courtesy of the grounds keeper. Out to fish Tarpon tomorrow...hope the wind dies down. Even though it's 29C, the wind's been howling the last couple of days... 2
Rizzo Posted February 15 Report Posted February 15 cute snook! No offence but I have never seen one that small before
north560 Posted February 21 Report Posted February 21 Check out Gow-Bush-Kon Lodge in Gowganda . Lots of speck lakes with easy access . Clean and comfortable cabins to make your stay enjoyable. 1
410001661 Posted February 22 Report Posted February 22 Give Jen at AirDale a call - https://www.air-dale.com/. She is absolutely amazing and will get you everything you need and takes care of you from the moment you arrive until the moment you are in your truck heading home. Check out many of Mike Borger's videos - https://www.canadafishingguide.net/ Mike does many of their lodge reviews 1
Alex48 Posted February 28 Report Posted February 28 Air Ivanhoe is a good family place to go.it is family owned operated since maybe the fifties. Cabins boats are rustic but well maintained. Fishing has always been good. Oswald lake is mostly trophy fishing. Work for few fish but big boys.many other lakes to choose from. Check out website for info on all of them. Ask which cannot be reached by residents on logging roads as a few are used by people.always see moose and bear in area. Good luck,enjoy those fillets. Chuck
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