One of the most critical aspects of planning your first Canadian fly-in fishing trip is understanding weight restrictions. Unlike commercial airlines, the bush planes used, typically the de Havilland Beaver or Otter, have strict payload capacities for safety. For lodge trips, most operators enforce a limit of 40 to 50 pounds per person, which must include your clothing, fishing gear, and personal items. If you are on an outpost trip, this limit may be 100-130 pounds per person and it includes your food and beverages. A few remote trips operate on a limit of total pounds per person. These limits are generally ~300 pounds per person and the limit includes both your weight and the weight of your gear. If you are traveling with a group, weights are calculated for your entire group, so one person can be over if another is under.

• Use soft-sided duffel bags rather than hard suitcases, as they are easier to pack into the plane's irregular cargo holds.
• Consolidate tackle into one or two small Plano utility boxes rather than bringing a massive tackle box.
• Leave the heavy beverages behind and pack a gravity-flow water filter and a variety of drink mixes.
• Wear your boots and jacket on the plane to save bag weight. You can even add few heavy items to your pockets if your weight is close.

Exceeding these limits can result in extra flight charges or, worse, leaving gear behind at the airbase. We recommend using a digital luggage scale to verify your weight before arriving at the dock. Remember, every ounce counts when you are flying into the remote wilderness of Canada.