I'm looking for a difficult trip for 6 days with decent fishing on it. Wife and I are experienced in Canada, but have minimal experience in the BWCA. Longer portages, remoteness, and river work a plus. Any insight is appreciated.

Thanks

Is going to Quetico an option for you? Seems right up your alley. The falls chain might make a good loop for you there. Kawnipi has great fishing. You could enter at Cache Lake off of Saganaga. (end of the gunflint trail)

If you don't own a trip guide book already such as Robert Beymers two books for the BWCA, I would get them. Kevin Callan has a nice book of routes through Quetico.

Good advice about the Quetico from TomT, though his BWCA cliff jumping leaves his sanity in question:)
However, you can still find what you seek in the Bdub if you take your trip early (mid May) or later in the year (Oct). The busiest time is when the schools are closed.(late May-early Sept.)
Your best bet, if a true adventurer and able to afford it, would be a trip to Alaska!

Do you need a loop trip, or is point-to-point OK?

Go in the Moose River and head East to Lamb the to Ramshead. The go to Oyster and turn East again,(You can also go North from Oyster and go up Gebe, for Walleye. A favorite lake of mine). Go thru the chain of lakes: Hustler, Lynx, Shell to name a few. Portages are long, but fishing is good. There are options for side trips. Come out Little Indian Sioux. Lamb and Ramshead have good pike. The rest are a mix bag of fish. Shell has good walleye and some nice bass.

Thanks for the replies. Alaska is happening in a couple years. Quetico is possible, but I don't know that it's worth it at this point (financially and for ease). Ideally a loop works best.

there are very few actual rivers in the BW. and remoteness is a relative term, if you are used to canadian canoing the BW may seem very crowded. however if you want to make a difficult trip with long portages the BW is unmatched. your imagination is the only limit. for remote rivers i suggest the little fork river. the scenery is not very special, actually there is no scenery, it is definitely remote and can have amazing fishing. a few runnable rapids add to the entertainment. no portages though, however the mosquitoes and flies in this region of low bogs will make up for any loss of challenges.

Enter on lesser used entry points that have a small quota per day. The stuart river comes to mind, bower trout entry, ram lake entry, angleworm entry etc.

Then try to reach lakes that have only one established campsite or are on a dead end route. Check the dnr lakefinder site out and find some information on those dead end lakes in regard to fishing.

You could also tackle a pma, if it is solitude and adventure you seek. For a first time trip to the bwca, I don't necessarily recommend that though. Bushwacking is a totally different beast.

Want to have some lakes all to yourself? Try a PMA. Definetly makes the portages more challenging.