Hearst Air Service - Land of Opportunity

If you’re looking for trophy northern pike and walleye, Hearst Air Service has remote fishing for both these species

Hearst Air Service has everything 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 Service 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 DIY, or Do It Yourself, which is fast becoming a popular choice for many anglers travelling to Algoma Country, as it provides fishing on remote, pristine lakes where there are no other anglers.

hearst-air-service-1

DIY is the ultimate in remote, wilderness cabin lodging. You’re not exactly camping in that you don’t sleep in a tent, as 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 usual amenities.

hearst-air-service-2

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 that you and your group are on your own for the duration of your trip! And standing on the end of the dock, with your new world at your feet, is an experience you’ll never forget!

hearst-air-service-3

Hearst Air Service has seven outpost camps strategically placed on lakes in the Algoma region to provide access to a variety of fisheries. If you’re looking for lots 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 phenomenal remote DIY fly-out angling at a reasonable price.

hearst-air-service-4

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

hearst-air-service-5

This spring Colin and Bill travelled to Napken Lake in search of a trophy pike and they were not disappointed! It was shortly after ice-out and the pike had just 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 northern pike to eat on a regular basis. Many fish per day, per angler, is just what post-spawn fishing is meant to be. The fishing was so good, even Cameraman Ryan got in on the action! Colin released the biggest fish of the trip, taping out at an incredible 44 inches!!!

hearst-air-service-7

hearst-air-service-6

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 and wishes in their comfortable rustic cabins on the lakes of Algoma Country. Hearst Air Service is also attuned to anglers’ needs for even more adventurous fishing expeditions. Consequently, they are in the process of developing even more remote adventures on rivers in Ontario’s far north! So, stay tuned to Hearst Air Service for more on these upcoming angling adventures!

About Mark Melnyk

Currently, Mark is the host and producer of The New Fly Show. With a passion of fly fishing, the shows 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. 

Recommended Articles

Ontario Experience

Drive-to Fishing at Waterfalls Lodge

Fishing and Foraging

Add some fresh foods and forage to your fishing adventures!

Polarized Sunglasses

Why Quality Shades are a Must-Have Piece of Fishing Gear

Ice Shelter Saviours

3 Essential Tips For Maintaining Your Shelter This Ice Fishing Season

Top 5 Flies for Brook Trout

Favourite fly patterns from The New Fly Fisher

Ontario’s Top Musky Fishing

Ontario is the epicenter of big musky fishing.

Walleye on Lake Temiskaming

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

Big Water, Big Fish

Chinook fishing on the Nipigon River

Top 5 Wet flies for Brook Trout

Fly Fishers describe their favourite brookie flies.

Top 10 Fly Patterns for Brook Trout

Learn Brook Trout Fly Pattern Choices for Surface Fly Fishing

The Best of Ontario

Home to World-Class Fishing & Hunting

Don't Let the Name Perch Lake Fool You

These Northern Ontario waters are packed with northern pike like you'll never believe, abundant gourmet walleye, and yellow perch await.

Awesome Algonquin

World Class Brook Trout Fishing in Algonquin Park.

Bivins’ Bounce Crappies

This technique is a must for crappie fishing

Fishing The Shoulder Season

Incredible Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike fishing at The Outpost Lodge in the Mississagi Valley

5 Places to Shore Fish

Fish’n Canada shows you where to go shore fishing in Ontario.

Fly Fishing the Grand River with Mikey Metcalfe

A Walk-and-Wade Guided Trip for Brown Trout

Fantastic Brook Trout

A Train-in Trip to Loch Island Lodge

Lodge 88: Keeping it in the Family

Fish'n Canada host Ang Viola takes his grandson to fly-in fishing lodge Lodge 88 on Esnagi Lake.

Friends in Fishy Times

An ode to fishing buddies new and old.