Legendary Maine Guide Award

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife gives an award each year at the Maine Professional Guides Associations annual banquet honoring a guide who has had a big impact on our resources and the profession. The award was introduced last year in memory of Wiggy Robinson who had been on the guides licensing board and done many outdoor shows as part of the IF&W team when I was the Director of Information and Education.

As a result of having been a working guide for a long time I have been very fortunate to know the first two recipients; last year was Gil Gilpatrick who had been on the board of directors of the Maine Professional Guides Association when I first became a member long ago. Gil was the first member of the guides association to serve on the guides licensing board when we were given the opportunity in the early 90’s. Gil guided canoe trips on the Allagash and has written books on building strip canoes that our son Noah used as a reference when he built his canoe a couple of years ago.

This year’s winner is Gary Corson who has been instrumental in getting Maine’s native brook trout recognized as a resource and protected. Getting him to the banquet is a great story all by itself and the most fun I had all winter. I have enjoyed guiding at Libby Camps with Gary over the years. He was humbled and surprised by the award and it made me think about how fortunate I am to know many (ok maybe most) of Maine’s working guides.

Looking out on the room Gary said that it was a great honor to be recognized by the two hundred or so people in that room. I could not agree more, no group anywhere that I would rather depend on in the woods or be prouder to call my peers and friends. Thanks for reminding me Gary and congratulations!