I got the full fly-in fishing experience in Canada’s backcountry—without actually flying. Here’s how

SWEAT EQUITY

While boat-in trips cost considerably less than fly-ins, the trade-off is you may have to work a little harder. The Kanipahow team are pros at moving their guests into the Northwind outpost, though naturally we helped with the hauling. There was more lugging of gear than on a fly-in, where everything gets unloaded directly from the plane onto the dock.

Standing at the launch, looking at our impressive mound of stuff, I briefly wondered if we’d taken our packing freedom a little too far. I apologized to Jamie for the volume. He shrugged and grinned.

“If you show up with a Sherman tank, we’ll get it in here,” he said. “We want to make sure you’ve got what you need to enjoy your trip.” (A few days later, while hiking into a portage lake through dense bush and enthusiastic mosquitoes, I started to think a tank might not be such a bad idea.)

At least our group knew the trip would involve some effort, so we came prepared with work clothes, bug nets and sturdy boots. It’s a reminder that part of the savings comes from doing some of the work yourself. Still, there were moments—lugging gear up to the cabin, swatting bugs—when I thought, This better be worth it. A couple of days later, I had my answer.