Hearst Air  DIY – the ultimate in remote wilderness cabin lodging.

by Mark Melnyk, host and producer of The New Fly Fisher show

Hearst Air Service has it all for anglers looking for that unique experience in Ontario’s North! If you’re looking for honest shots at trophy pike and walleye, Hearst Air has something for you. The “air service” specializes in delivering anglers to remote lakes rarely seen by other anglers. They will help you pick the lake that best serves your angling needs and deliver you right to the doorstep of your own camp. That’s right, your OWN camp. It’s called D.I.Y! DIY or Do It Yourself is fast becoming the favorite of many anglers travelling to Algoma Country. It’s remote, pristine and you’re guaranteed to be the only guests on your lake.

So, what is DIY? Well DIY is the ultimate in remote wilderness cabin lodging. You’re not exactly camping in that you don’t sleep in a tent, however the cabin on the lake you choose will have the basics including a propane fridge and stove, lanterns for light and a wood burning stove for heat. You bring and cook your own meals and come and go as you please, fishing as much or as little as you like. You’re roughing it without missing out on any of the necessary amenities.

There is NOTHING quite like the volume of silence you experience when the float plane takes off and leaves you at your personal camp for a week. The engines slowly fade in the distance until you hear nothing, just your immediate surroundings and your heartbeat. It really is a rush to know you and your group are on your own for the duration of your trip! And standing on the end of the dock, with what is your new world at your feet is a rush you soon won’t forget!

Hearst Air Service has seven outpost camps strategically placed on lakes in the Algoma region. Placed specifically for angler access to a variety of fisheries. If you’re looking for big numbers of fish, you go here. If you’re hunting trophies, you go there. If you’re in search of multi species, this lake will be best for you. Bottom line, no matter your angling ability, conventional or fly, you can experience true remote DIY fly-out angling at a reasonable price.

Species you can target from Hearst Air Service include; trophy northern pike, walleye and perch. Pike well over the 40” mark are caught and released on many of the outpost camp lakes on which Hearst Air Service has cabins. Two of the more consistent camps trophy pike lakes are Quantz and Napken! We have fished both!

This spring Colin and Bill travelled to Napken lake in search of trophy Northern’s and they were not disappointed! It was shortly after ice-out and the pike had finished spawning. They were still shallow and on the hunt. Bill and Colin spent a lot of time casting streamers and poppers into dark bottomed shallow bays in search of pike on the prowl. Red and black articulated streamers, large chartreuse bunny leeches and salty jack topwater poppers teased giant northerns to eat on a regular basis. Many fish per day, per angler is just what post spawn fishing is “supposed” to be like. The fishing was so good, even Cameraman Ryan got in on the action! Colin released the big fish of the trip taping out at an incredible 44”!!

DIY is truly such a unique experience it really should be on every angler’s bucket list. Hearst Air Service are pros at logistics, delivery and safety in their field. They cater to all angling abilities, angler’s wishes and have comfortable rustic homes in many lakes in Algoma Country. Hearst Air Service also realizes the angler’s need for even more adventurous fishing expeditions and are in the works to develop even more remote adventures on rivers in Ontario’s far north! So, stay tuned to www.hearstair.com for more on these upcoming angling adventures!

Contact info:
Hearst Air Service Ltd
PO Box 2650
Highway 11 West, 16 miles
Hearst Ontario P0L 1N0

Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 8 am – 5 pm TOLL-FREE 1-866-844-5700

The article was first posted on www.northernontariotravel/ January 2020