8 reasons why outposts are awesome (and value-priced) fly-in fishing trips for anyone—not just expert anglers

#2  Getting to your departure point is part of the fun

Who doesn’t love a road trip? It’s hard to disagree with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s contention that “It’s the not the destination, it’s the journey.” But as it applies to fishing trips, ol’ Ralph is only partly right.

The destination is the point, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the journey. And this year, we really did.

Initially, the nine-hour drive to Cochrane posed a problem, since none of us had a vehicle that was quite big enough to haul three full-sized adults plus a week’s worth of food and tackle. Enter our friends at Toyota Canada who generously offered us the use of a 2024 Tacoma i-FORCE TRD Off Road extended cab pick-up, complete with a tonneau cover to keep our gear dry and clean.

How was it? In a word: glorious. That is, roomy inside and out, beautiful cab with excellent seats (even in the back), very good suspension and impressive fuel economy. I knew the Tacoma would excel at hauling our gear, and for taking on any rougher roads. But what I didn’t expect was how much zip and verve it showed on the four-lane highways around the cities, and then on the busy two- and three-lane stretches of Ontario’s Highway 11. I see why Car and Driver gave it a 9.5/10 and an “Editor’s Choice” stamp, and Motor Trend called it “harder, better, faster, stronger.” A very big thanks to Toyota Canada for helping us get there and back.

But as enjoyable as the journey was, it’s time to talk fishing…