Guys,

I have been reading your blog about doing Opasquia Provincial Park in 2013. I have been doing fly-in trips to this park via Big Hook for 23 years. 

Thought  I might throw in a few comments to give you a better understanding of how Big Hook operates. Bottomline, I really like the walleye fishing in this park.   I have been to several of the Big Hook camps over the years including Cocos, Southwest, West and South Lakes. Southwest has loads of 13 - 17 inch walleyes, in fact incredible numbers...just not very big ones. Cocos and West have a great combination of walleyes and northerns ...numbers and size.

I have settled in on South Lake for the past 15 years and normally go the 2nd week of August. I will be there Sat 8/10 - Sat 8/17/13 with 4 buds of mine .Its the smallest cabin of all the lakes but I like the numbers and potential for large walleyes here. Northern fishing is just OK.  They provide 15 hp  four stroke motors  with 14 - 16 ft LUNDS and gas for a week and provide staples like potatoes, beans, canned fruit and vegs, cooking oil, onions, etc, ...you just bring meat and whatever. There is a shower and oven  and outdoor grill. Bring sleeping bags... and you sleep on bunk beds with foam mattress.

I usually overnight at Balmertown Hotel  on Friday night before trip ... comfortable rooms ...and nice restaurant for so far north.

You leave Red Lake at predesigned time on a Saturday usually at 2 hours intervals starting at 6:30 am then 8:30 am  etc, You fly out of Wayasa Airport which is adjacent to to Red Lake Airport. You will park your vehicle at Waysaya airport for your duration. You will park in a fenced in area. You will leave your keys with airport personnel and they will have your vehicle waiting for you ready to exit the airport upon your arrival back from your trip.

We have always flew out in a 9 passenger turbo prop plane. You land in Sandy Lake usually in a 1 hour flight. Sandy Lake is a large 1st Nation  Indian reservation. It is a very sandy looking colored lake ... not sure why anyone would want to put a reservation on such a tan muddy colored lake. It is alcohol free on the reservation so you must pack in any liquor in a box or at least packed away unseen. There is a 100 lb limit on gear flying in and of course our group has  always been overweight as we bring in 8 - 10 cases of beer and a assortment of scotch and other whiskey's. The Ontario government is really cracking down on weight limits by the aircraft you are flying in. We used to be able to throw on some extra packs but now they weigh everything.

Steve @ Big Hook will pick you up at the airstrip on the outskirts of Sandy Lake in some old beat up vans. You will then proceed on a 15 minute drive to his dock at Sandy Lake. Steve has his own personal plane there but utilizes 2 to 3 Cessna float planes via Sandy Lake Airlines to move Big Hook customers to their various outposts. It only takes about 20 minutes to get to South Lake via float plane from Sandy Lake.

Normally in August we have not had weather issues that have limited flights in and out of Sandy Lake ... but once we did spend the night on the floor of the commissary at Sandy because of storms. We have had occasional late pickups at our cabin at take out time. The fact that you are 180 miles north of Red lake will at times mean you may have travel issues back and  forth between your camp, Sandy Lake and Red Lake.

Hey, I have to go watch the Final Four on TV ...if you need any more info ... please ask.