Do-It-Yourself Fly-In Fishing

Fly into one of nine outpost camps on nine lakes with Lauzon Aviation

I love fly fishing for trout or smallmouth bass, especially if I can do it on a budget. For many anglers, the best option for getting good quality fishing is to visit remote outposts on a fly-in trip. Outposts are essential “cottages” located at remote lakes, many with streams or rivers running into them. You fly into these cottages with your own food and sleeping items, and essentially you do Do-It-Yourself!

There are dozens of services that provide fly-in remote outposts, and one of my favourites is Lauzon Aviation located near Blind River Ontario, in Algoma Country. Lauzon Air Service is a family-run business that has been helping anglers access great fishing for over 30 years. They have nine rustic outpost cabins on nine separate lakes, each system featuring different species. On one lake you can have walleye and pike and on another rainbow and lake trout. These DIY fishing trips are perfect for groups of anglers or families. You have the lake entirely to yourself for the whole week, a nice experience for those who want solitude!

An example of one remote outpost they offer is Hastie Lake, which has incredible smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing. Each day we cast topwater flies and lures and caught lots of bass up to 5 pounds. Near shore, yellow, orange, and black poppers worked well for both species. On the main lake, we found that smelt patterns like Murdich Minnows or Scotty’s McFly were deadly.

Another lake we tried on a repeat visit several years later was Blue Lake, which has good populations of lake and rainbow trout. We used sink-tip lines and full-sinking lines to take white streamer patterns down to approximately 8-12 feet to connect with the trout. In the early morning or late evening, we had success casting streamers in the top three feet of the lake as rainbow trout were “busting” the surface chasing minnows. Very visually exciting and fast-action! The small stream running into and out of the lake has a healthy population of brook trout, which are fun to catch on dry flies and woolly buggers.

Lauzon Aviation supplies flight in and out, a fully stocked cabin (including kitchen equipment), a boat and motor with gas, plus propane for the cabin appliances. Anglers just need to bring their food, sleeping bags, and fishing gear. Then you have the whole lake to yourself! Great for fishing and is totally remote. Lauzon Air Service is ideal because it is affordable and accessible.

Book a trip

Lauzon Aviation
PH: (705) 849-2389

About Colin McKeown

Colin McKeown is the producer of The New Fly Fisher Television Series, and several documentary series for the Outdoor Life Network, the Discovery Channel and the History Channel. With a passion of fly fishing, Colin's goal is to help both novice and veteran fly fishers everywhere by giving them a top-quality fly fishing series that will make them better anglers. Known for his keen sense of humour, Colin has two wonderful children and is married to the most understanding and patient woman in the world. 

Recommended Articles

Debunking Muskie Myths

Busting Popular Myths About Ontario's Big Toothy Beasts

Perfect Shore Lunch

Try This Award-Winning Recipe

Eating Northern Pike

The Best Recipe to Cook This Fish

River Lake Trout Techniques

Some techniques to help you catch Lake Trout in the untraditional river setting across Ontario.

Experiencing Prince Edward County - The Angler’s Way

Walleye fishing on the world-famous Bay of Quinte.

Top 10 Streamers for Ontario Brook Trout

Big Brook Trout get that way by eating lots of smaller fish which is why streamers work well.

Guardian Eagle Resort

A Fly-in, Full-Service Resort in Ontario's Sunset Country

Hidden Musky Gems

The Musky Hunter shares 3 favourite musky hot spots across Ontario.

Eagle Lake Island Lodge

Your private island escape and off-the-grid adventures await.

Discover the 3 Best Bass Fishing Lakes in Ontario

Check out these lakes for hard-fighting smallmouth bass on your next fishing trip to Northern Ontario.

The Tigers of Sunset Country

The most picturesque of all freshwater fish.

Fishing the Marten River

Extreme Angler fishes for BIG walleye in Northeastern Ontario.

Smallmouth Bass Destinations

From rivers to lakes, smallmouth bass are found throughout Ontario.

Ten Mile Lake Lodge

Enjoy Northern hospitality fishing for splake, brook trout and lake trout

Bear Creek Bruisers

Fishing Musky on Lake Nipissing

Fly Fishing in Canada’s Capital City

A city visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year is any angler’s dream.

Become a World-class Fishing Guide

Misconceptions, behind-the-scenes intel, and key tips from a professional guide.

Awesome Algonquin

World Class Brook Trout Fishing in Algonquin Park.

Walleye on Lake Temiskaming

Fish'n Canada heads to Lake Temiskaming to tackle Ontario Walleye.

Laurentian Lodge

Perfect base for fishing Algoma Country in Northern Ontario.