Shawmere Outpost

Guests rate Air Ivanhoe very highly overall. Most reviews are 4 or 5 stars, and many come from repeat customers. Some have returned for 10 to 25 years, and several say they try a new lake each trip. The Theriault family (George, Jeanne, Joel and Daniella) is named again and again as the reason for the outfit's reputation. Several reviewers call it a family-run, professional operation, and a few who have used other outfitters say Air Ivanhoe's accommodations and service compare favorably.

Reviewers most often praise the walleye and northern pike fishing, with perch and smallmouth mentioned on some lakes. Catch reports include hundreds of fish per trip, such as 250 walleye, 400 walleye in four days, and 479 fish in a week. One group of 6 reported over 1,300 fish. Several guests ate walleye at shore lunch or dinner nearly every night. Guests also like having a whole lake to themselves, the scenery and wildlife, and the seclusion. Staff and pilots are described as friendly, competent and helpful. Guests mention easy check-in, help loading planes, plenty of fuel and propane, and quick responses when something was forgotten or broke. Most outpost cabins are described as well equipped, with working boats, motors, generators and refrigerators, and some have showers. The lodge, inn and log cottages near Foleyet are called clean and comfortable, and the restaurant food gets good marks. A few reviewers also mention hunting trips (bear, moose, duck) with good accommodations.

Several things come up as cautions. Cabin quality varies by outpost. One guest described leaking boats, rotted transoms, mice and a dirty cabin at The Chutes, and another found a VIP cabin at Kapuskasing in poor repair. Fishing results also vary by lake. A few guests found the fishing slower than expected, with mostly small fish or few pike (Kapuskasing, Resound, Biggs, Lemoine, Nemegosenda), and one said the "50 fish on a good day" pitch didn't match their trip. Weight limits on flights are tight, so beer, water and pop add up, and overweight charges apply. Guests should expect outhouses at some camps, bugs, and weather delays on fly-in days. The lodge restaurant is open only some days of the week, and one guest who stayed at the inn found service slow. That guest recommended the outpost fly-ins over the inn. The destination suits groups of friends, couples and first-time fly-in anglers who want numbers of walleye and pike and a remote setting. It is less suited to anglers set on trophy-size fish on every lake, or to those who want hotel-level amenities at every outpost.