Department Presents Legendary Maine Guide Awards

From the MDIFW April 12, 2010

Department Presents Legendary Maine Guide Awards

Brewer, Maine – The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife presented its first legendary Maine Guide awards at the Maine Professional Guides Association annual banquet on Saturday, April 10, in Brewer.

On Saturday, the inaugural award officially was named the “Wilmot ‘Wiggie’ Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award,” in honor of Maine Master Guide Wilmot “Wiggie” Robinson, who passed away in 2007. The awards were presented by IF&W Deputy Commissioner Paul F. Jacques.

“The Department initiated this award to recognize its long-standing relationship with Maine guides – a partnership that’s almost as old as our agency, and that’s 130 years,” said Deputy Commissioner Jacques. “We feel the first two recipients set the benchmark for which other guides will be named as legends, and we congratulate them for setting the high standards that Maine guides strive to maintain.”

The first legendary Maine Guide award was presented posthumously to Mr. Robinson, and accepted by his wife, Joyce Robinson, their children, Judy Robinson, Patsy Huston and Jay Robinson, and his brother, Earl.

Joyce Robinson, wife of the late Maine Master Guide Wilmot “Wiggie” Robinson, and Judy Robinson, Jay Robinson and Patsy Huston, pose by an Legendary Maine Guide Award posthumously given to Mr. Robinson. The annual award now is named in Mr. Robinson’s memory.

Mr. Robinson was a Maine Master Guide since 1950, and a member of the Maine Trappers Association, the National Rifle Association, Trout Unlimited and Ducks Unlimited. He founded the Maine Bird Dog Club, the Millinocket Fin and Feather Club, and was instrumental in founding the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, of which he served as executive director for many years. He served as chairman of the Maine Guides Board of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council. He also was an outdoors writer, broadcaster and photographer, and was bestowed the Jackie Pfeifler Award from the Outdoor Writers Association of America.

A drawing representing late Maine Master Guide Wilmot “Wiggie” Robinson’s life is part of what future recipients of the “Wilmot ‘Wiggie’ Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award” will receive. The pencil drawing was done by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife employee Ralph Brissette.

Gil Gilpatrick of Skowhegan received the 2010 “Wilmot ‘Wiggie’ Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award” on Saturday. Mr. Gilpatrick is a life member of the Maine Professional Guides Association. For many years, Mr. Gilpatrick, a former high school teacher, has taught hundreds of young people how to build and paddle canoes, and each class culminated in a trip down the Allagash River in the spring.

Gil Gilpatrick of Skowhegan received the 2010 “Wilmot ‘Wiggie’ Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award” from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife on Saturday, April 10.

Mr. Gilpatrick has written books on building strip canoes and snowshoes and leading canoe trips, which are being used as references today. Mr. Gilpatrick has served on the Maine Guides Advisory board since being nominated to that group over 15 years ago by the MPGA. He also served on the MPGA Board of Directors for many years. In 1993, Mr. Gilpatrick carved a sign that is displayed at the podium at the MPGA annual banquet each year.

The “Wilmot ‘Wiggie’ Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award” will be presented annually at the Maine Professional Guides Association banquet. Nomination forms along with nominating criteria for future years will be available on the Department’s web site later this year.

MDIFW Contact: Deborah Turcotte, Spokesperson
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
284 State Street
41 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333

Posted on Monday, April 26th, 2010
Filed under MDIF News.