Welcome to Moccasin Trails Adventures, featuring some of the most incredible fly in fishing and hunting vacations available anywhere in Canada.
And, what is it exactly that gives us the confidence to say “some of the most incredible fly in fishing and hunting vacations anywhere in Canada?”
Well, the answer is simple and we can even reduce it down to one single word – Ojibwe. We are the People of the Ojibwe First Nation and we have been hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering in our traditional territory for thousands of years. We know how it’s done.
The Ojibwe First Nations compose the third largest group of the Anishnaabe speaking peoples of Canada. The majority of the Ojibwe (sometimes spelled, Ojibway) First Nations living in Ontario are in the north-central part of the province, from the shores of Lake Superior to the coast of Hudson Bay.
If you want to catch fish, we’ll take you to “all the good spots,” as veteran guide, George Whitehead says. We don’t need to go out and buy a GPS unit. Those “funny looking things with lots of buttons” are part of our genetic make-up, passed down from our parents and community elders for generations.
Simply put – we are regarded around the world as some of the most highly skilled woodsmen, period. If you are planning a remote, wilderness fishing or hunting trip, you’ll want to be guided by the best. If you’re traversing through a set of rapids on the famous Albany River, there is no room for error. You must be able to rely on your guide to get you to where the fish are, and then get you back to camp safely… not soaking wet and with your fishing rod still lying on the bottom of the river!
Speaking of safety, while you and your buddies are guests in our camp, your safety is, by far, our number one concern. The people who are very much at home while they are “out on the land” are the very people who you can trust and rely upon to keep you out of trouble. When you’re several hundred miles from the nearest hospital, there is no room for compromise. Catching more fish than you have ever caught before – well, that’s the easy part, but we’ll get to that later.
Please browse through our new website… there is a lot of information for you to absorb. We are completely aware of the fact that there are plenty of choices for your Canadian fly in fishing or hunting vacation and we want you to know what getting for your hard earned money!
We want to earn your business initially, and remain a friend for life. We welcome you into our traditional territory, into our culture and into our lives.
Moccasin Trails Adventures is a group of remote, fly in fishing and hunting outpost camps owned and operated by First Nations People of northwestern Ontario. Most camps are beautiful, rustic log cabins, handcrafted by the owners themselves. We have been providing top notch wilderness vacations since early in the new millennium.
The camps are located within three of the five largest watersheds in Ontario, all of which drain into either Hudson Bay or James Bay. The most northerly is The Winisk River, which is 275 miles long and drains into Hudson Bay. The Ojibwe word, “Winisk” means ‘groundhog.’ It drains into Hudson Bay.
The next river, moving southward, is the Attiwapiskat River which flows for 465 miles and drains into James Bay. The word “Attawapiskat” means ‘the people of the parting of the rocks.’
The third and largest river of the three is the mighty Albany River, which flows for 610 miles starting at Lake St. Joseph, running through Mishkeegogamang Ojibwe Nation and all the way to James Bay. The traditional name for this legendary river is Gichi Siipii, meaning ‘the great river.’
These three rivers are of the most famous in all of Canada. For example, Fort Albany was built at the mouth of the Albany River and it was one of the original trading posts built by the Hudson Bay Company in 1670. It was all about beaver pelts back in those days and the Ojibwe provided countless top quality pelts that would eventually be sold on the market “across the big water.” Many were manufactured into stylish felt hats worn by millions of people from all across Europe.
All of the camps within the Moccasin Trails Adventures group are very remote and exclusive, meaning there are no other camps on the same lake or even on the same stretch of river. During your vacation, it is extremely unlikely that you’ll see any people other than those who are in your group. If you do see someone, it is likely a few “locals” from one of the area’s First Nations communities who are out checking their trap line or perhaps, doing some fishing with their family. Most camps are at least fifty miles from the nearest Ojibwe community, but to people who are used to being out on the land for weeks, or even months at a time, fifty miles is nothing.
You will experience plenty of Ojibwe culture and tradition on your holiday with us. For example, as an important part of the teachings of the Ojibwe people, passed down from community Elders, it is customary to put forth an offering of tobacco when you take something from the land. So, don’t be surprised if your guide says a prayer to the “The Creator” and places an offering of tobacco beneath a tree just before you dive head first into your delicious shore lunch.
There are six camps that operate within the Moccasin Trails Adventure group.
A common question asked is, “How many walleyes will I catch per day?” And, we say, “How many can you reel in before getting worn out?” That is a slight exaggeration of course, but the point is made! The fishing is simply fantastic all through the northern Ojibwe traditional territory and each of the camps offers a truly incredible “untapped” sport fishery.
The moose hunts are exclusive, meaning you will not see another sport hunter on your trip. Just you, your hunting partner and your guide… that’s it! There are more moose than there are people in the area that you while hunting.
All of the camps within the Moccasin Trails Adventures group are located somewhere within three of the five main watersheds of Ontario: the Winisk River, the Attawapiskat River and the Albany River, all of which flow into the ocean at either James Bay or Hudson Bay. Most of the camps are located anywhere from 300 miles to 500 miles north, northwest or northeast of the city of Thunder Bay.
All camps are remote and accessible only by float plane.
When you have decided on which camp you would like to go to, we will discuss more precise travel options for you at that time.
