Found! Wilderness Canoe Fishing For $50 A Day

Article Date: January 1998

Since 1953 I have been traveling to eastern Ontario to visit the Lake Temagami area - about 300 miles north of Toronto - not only to fish for species ranging from northern pike and walleye to lake trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass and splake, but also to enjoy its many wilderness canoe routes. This area was once traveled extensively by fur traders and has literally hundreds of established canoe routes, both river and lake, that interconnect the thousands of lakes, streams and rivers in the area.

Although it can be daunting to think about navigating your way around this vast Lake Huron watershed, the outfitting services provided by Dan Carpenter of Keewaydin Camp (*) make it all possible. He provides everything a self-guided canoe fisherman needs except for fishing equipment and sleeping bags, which you provide. His $50 per day fee includes tents, canoes, paddles, food, cooking utensils and, most importantly, detailed trip-planning advice.

Importantly, Carpenter is an avid fisherman himself; plus, his company has been in operation longer than any other camp in North America. This means he has an amazing archive of trip notes, which I've used many times. The information includes portage location, length of portage, campsite locations and type of fish in the waters.

One other company you may want to contact is Lakeland Airways (*), which can arrange fully-outfitted canoe flyouts for self-guided fishermen from the town of Temagami. They even have cabins complete with canoes on several remote lakes. Their charge for a three-day outpost cabin stay and flyout is $365 per person for two people. This is a good option for anglers who are ready to fish some of the more remote waters after a couple of seasons' experience.

You might also want to order a copy of a book called Temagami Canoe Routes, wh........(continued)

CONTACT DETAILS FOR COMPANIES/INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED IN ARTICLE (if any)

Dan Carpenter, Keewaydin Camp. 19 Armory Street. Hamden, CT, 06517. Tel. 203-782-0147

Lakeland Airways. Tel. 705-569-3455. Fax 705-569-3687

Adventurous Traveler Bookstore. Tel. 800-282-3963, 802-860-6776

John F. Schneider. 23473 Highway 22. Ponchatula, LA, 70454