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and Laker canoes: keeping trad ion alive

By A lene Benham

Phot s courtesy of Bob Gagner and Dale Tobey

Since around 1900, Grand Lake Stream has been a premier sport fishing destination for salmon and bass, and a distinctive style of
canoe is associated with the area. The “Grand Laker” was developed in the 1920s by several local fishing guides to handle the windy
conditions of the big lake. Although the market now trends toward synthetic low-maintenance canoes, three men are keeping the tra-
dition alive.

The first Grand Lakers were 18-20 foot double-ended canoes that followed the Passamaquoddy design. With the advent of outboard
motors, early attempts to hang them over the side were awkward. Redesign of the canoes with a square stern led to the style still used
today; the original designers’ molds have been passed down through families. The canoes are adapted for shallow water and rocky
landings, can comfortably seat two passengers, and are easy to maneuver along shorelines. Seats face backwards so trollers can watch
their lures, and they are stable enough to stand up in.

Dale Tobey became interested in guiding as a boy. He spent a lot of time at his grandfather’s hunting and fishing camp at Grand Lake.
After high school, he got his guide license, but without much work available at the time, he entered the family business instead. When
guiding became viable, he moved to the area.

“It took me another 20 years but I finally got here in 2000.” he said. He started guiding, trapping, and restoring canoes. Deciding he
wanted to build his own, he built a mold in 2005. Buyers took notice, and in the spring of 2020, he was finishing his 25th canoe. “I’ve
got canoes all over the country,” Dale said.

Summer visitors who come for a couple of weeks to fish end up buying their own. He had a Wheaton canoe – one of the original designs
– and worked at a lodge when he first arrived. He recalls seeing guides lined up with their canoes waiting for clients. A few years ago,
six of the eight guides’ canoes were his. “In 15 years, it’s gone from predominantly Wheatons to predominantlyTobeys,” he said “It
felt good to step up and fill that niche.” He enjoys seeing his canoes around the lake in the summer.

Dale builds two or three canoes a year, and repairs another eight or 10 between November and April. Restoration includes sanding
and re-varnishing interiors and trim, and repairing dents, scratches, holes, or rot.
Bob Gagner, also a guide, learned the canoe-building art from his wife’s father, using her grandfather’s 100-year-old mold. “You had
them sold before you could get them off the mold,” he recalled; they built six to eight each year. Now he builds one or two a year to
keep the tradition going. “You could stay here a month and fish a different lake every day,” he said. The season lasts from early May
through September; they can “paddle all day” and reach areas inaccessible with a motor.

Bill Shamel also married into a canoe-building family 51 years ago after a career in the Coast Guard. His father-in-law used one of
the original molds from 1924. After retiring to Grand Lake Stream 26 years ago, he took over the business. He builds one or two
canoes a year on commission. It takes between two weeks and three months, and his canoes have ended up as far away as Seattle,
California and Montana.

A finished Grand Laker by Dale Tobey. Photo courtesy of Dale Tobey.
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