Before you go check out the Old Town Canoe website and come back to me saying there is no such boat, let me clarify a little bit. The Guide 119 is a custom version of the Discovery 119 that is made in the camouflage color pattern and available for in the Guide series of canoes exclusively for Dick’s Sporting Goods.

My Story: A number of years back, I purchased a blemished Old Town Canoe 119k from a local canoe and kayak shop for $600. It was the first canoe that I had ever purchased myself and I fell in love with it. Being the avid fly fisherman that I am, I found it to be the perfect boat for getting to the warm water fishes we have in central North Carolina. I had several kayaks at the time and they quickly started to accumulate dust from disuse. I ended up selling all my kayak along the way.  I eventually met my future wife and after we got married, it got used a bit less, but still a fair amount. However, with the arrival of my first child, the boat became neglected to the point that I felt I would rather someone else use it than it not get used at all. That is where I made my mistake. I sold it to a good friend and semi-regular fishing buddy knowing that I would be able to use it when I wanted. He was in possession of it for a year or two when it was stolen from his backyard. It’s out there somewhere, and if I ever find it, rest assured the twit that swiped it will get his due.

All that said, I sorely missed that little red 119k. I even tried replacing it with a recreational kayak of similar length but it’s just wasn’t the same. One day I was in Dick’s Sporting Good’s when I looked up and saw a little Old Town Canoe sitting on the top of the camping accessories shelf. I thought to myself that it was a Discovery 119 despite the fact that it was in camouflage colors, had a molded plastic seat, and said Guide 119 on the side. What amazed me most about it was the $399 price tag hanging on it.

When I got home, I hopped in the web and straight to the Dick’s sit to get more info but it wasn’t there. I next went to the Old Town site only to find it missing there, too. I did find the Discovery and it was exactly the same boat as the one in the store, but the camo color was not listed as an option. So I called Johnson Outdoors (OTC’s parent company) and started asking questions. The canoe on the shelf at Dick’s was indeed a Discovery that was molded in the Guide Camo exclusively for Dick’s and was only available there. Part of the agreement between OTC and Dick’s prevents it from being listed on either website so it is only available in the actual stores.

At this point, I had decided that I had to replace my old Discovery and I might actually be able to afford to do so if I sold my kayak. So I talked the wife into holding a yard sale that Saturday and I listed the kayak as an item that would be available during the sale in the ad on Craigslist. Sure enough it sold, along with a crap load of other items that made it the the best yard sale we have ever had. That afternoon I drove over to Dick’s with the money from the kayak sale and a ScoreCard rewards voucher for $50. I walked in and there was a sign on the boat I wanted that said it was on sale for $350. Woo Hoo… sold.

Now I have my new OTC Discovery/Guide that I will never let go even if it does not get used. I’ve rigged it the way I feel works for the way I currently fish and I take it out regularly.

Review: I’m not sure that I need to tell you that I love this boat after the story above, so here is some info on it’s capabilities and such. I have found that this is a very stable boat, especially with the currently installed seat. It paddles with little effort and tracks well for an experienced paddler. A less experienced paddler would find the use of a long (240-250cm) double bladed paddle easier. It is very agile and sits high in the water which allows for getting into those places a lot of other boats just can’t reach. I’ve done several long paddles (in my old Discovery 119) that required overnight gear to be brought along and it handled great with the extra weight.

Specs:
Length: 11′ 9″ / 3.6 m
Width: 32.5″ / 82.6 cm Width at 4″ Waterline
Bow Height: 19″ / 48.3 cm
Depth: 13.5″ / 34.3 cm
Weight: 43 lbs / 19.5 kg
Max Load Range: 450 – 500 lbs /204.1 – 226.8 kg
Material: Three Layer Superliner

Modifications: I mentioned above that I had made several modifications to my Guide. Here’s the rundown:

• Seat Pad – My seat pad is a simple piece of 1/2″ minicell foam from the local paddle shop that I cut into the shape and fastened with panel retainers from the auto parts shop.
• Tackle and cup holders – I installed a Seachoice Cockpit Organizer and Cruisin’ Caddy to provide a bit of close to hand storage and a place to hold the beer. I was able to find these items in gray directly from the manufacturer but can’t seem to find the link right now.
• GPS holder – I fabricated a flip out arm that holds the handlebar mount for my Garmin Venture HC GPS. I use it when doing long paddles or when marking fishing spots.
• Anchor Trolley – I mounted small two deck mount pulleys to to one the bow and stern on one side. With a length of line looped through them with a carabiner attached in the middle to run the anchor line through I can adjust where on the boat the anchor line is and how it sits in the current.
• Bungees – As with any boat, bungees get added to fasten things down. I’ve added several including one to hold the paddle on the front thwart and another the keeps the seat closed when on the roof rack.

Cost:
Quality:
Performance:
Availability:
Overall:
About Ratings