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The Last Guide, A story of Fish and Love
Part fishing trip, part history, and lore, The Last Guide tells the story of Frank Kuiack, Algonquin Park's last full-time fishing guide. Through Frank's story, The Last Guide chronicles a way of life in a wilderness he grew to know intimately over a lifetime. It is a wilderness that has nearly vanished.
In The Last Guide, author Ron Corbett interweaves Frank's story with those of other guides, local legends like Basil Sawyer, known as much for his guiding expertise as for his fateful business venture as an importer of Princess Pine; Sam Beaver, after whom E.B. White named the hero of his last children's book, The Trumpet of the Swan; and perhaps the most famous guide of all, the painter Tom Thomson, who spent his last summer guiding on Canoe Lake.
Richly anecdotal, entertaining and with marvelous photographs throughout, The Last Guide is a tribute to those who have called the wilderness home, and to a world that valued and sustained them.
In The Last Guide, author Ron Corbett interweaves Frank's story with those of other guides, local legends like Basil Sawyer, known as much for his guiding expertise as for his fateful business venture as an importer of Princess Pine; Sam Beaver, after whom E.B. White named the hero of his last children's book, The Trumpet of the Swan; and perhaps the most famous guide of all, the painter Tom Thomson, who spent his last summer guiding on Canoe Lake.
Richly anecdotal, entertaining and with marvelous photographs throughout, The Last Guide is a tribute to those who have called the wilderness home, and to a world that valued and sustained them.
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First published January 22, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 4, 2019
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read and review.
THE LAST GUIDE: A STORY OF FISH AND LOVE is the true story of a man known as the last remaining guide in Algonquin Park in northern Ontario where he lived for the entirety of his life; except for a brief period.
Frank Kuiack (pronounced “kwee-ack) loved fishing as far back as he could remember, and had dreamed of becoming a fishing guide for just as long, eventually getting an opportunity to do so even in his youth as opportunity presented itself.
Author Ron Corbett met Frank near the end of his career, and when a friendship was formed Frank agreed to take Ron to many of his favorite places on a guided trip, and filled the author in on his life and career, and was very open about his personal struggles and relationships affected by his alcoholism, followed by his abrupt decision and commitment to sobriety, and the positive change it made in his life and for those around him in his community from that point forward.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and for many reasons; particularly Frank’s being brutally honest about his personal life, mistakes, and the beautiful moments as well, another reason is my love for Ontario that began in my youth and my grandfather’s cottage near the Georgian Bay where much of the beauty the author describes so well felt familiar to me.
Heartwarming and encouraging, this story leaves a reader with a sense of the simple and practical wisdom of a man who’s greatest pleasures are both being alone with the woman that he loved for a majority of his life, and his love for the quiet times alone in the wilderness & on the water.
5 stars.
THE LAST GUIDE: A STORY OF FISH AND LOVE is the true story of a man known as the last remaining guide in Algonquin Park in northern Ontario where he lived for the entirety of his life; except for a brief period.
Frank Kuiack (pronounced “kwee-ack) loved fishing as far back as he could remember, and had dreamed of becoming a fishing guide for just as long, eventually getting an opportunity to do so even in his youth as opportunity presented itself.
Author Ron Corbett met Frank near the end of his career, and when a friendship was formed Frank agreed to take Ron to many of his favorite places on a guided trip, and filled the author in on his life and career, and was very open about his personal struggles and relationships affected by his alcoholism, followed by his abrupt decision and commitment to sobriety, and the positive change it made in his life and for those around him in his community from that point forward.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and for many reasons; particularly Frank’s being brutally honest about his personal life, mistakes, and the beautiful moments as well, another reason is my love for Ontario that began in my youth and my grandfather’s cottage near the Georgian Bay where much of the beauty the author describes so well felt familiar to me.
Heartwarming and encouraging, this story leaves a reader with a sense of the simple and practical wisdom of a man who’s greatest pleasures are both being alone with the woman that he loved for a majority of his life, and his love for the quiet times alone in the wilderness & on the water.
5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2019
The Last Guide: A Story of Fish and Love by Ron Corbett is a nostalgic look at the history and lore of guided fishing in and around Algonquin Provincial Park in north-central Ontario, Canada, and more specifically about Frank Kuiack, the last guide.
Ron Corbett, a reporter following a lead on recent DNA testing of wolves in Algonquin Park indicating they were of the red wolf species instead of the previously assumed timber wolf, was referred to Frank Kuiack. Kuiack was as knowledgeable as anyone about the wolves in the park, Corbett was told, so he set up an interview.
When Corbett arrived at the sixty-something-year-old man’s house, he could tell immediately from the canoes in the yard and the fishing gear in the house that Kuiack had been a guide. Corbett asked him when he had retired and Kuiack surprised him by saying he wasn’t retired; he still guided.
At the end of the wolf interview, Corbett asked to go fishing with the older man. Kuiack said he was booked solid until the end of the season, and he would take him then.
It wasn’t until near the end of this multi-day fishing trip that Corbett learned his would be the last long guided trip. During the course of the trip, Kuiack’s story unfolds and we see why the spry sexagenarian was planning to only take short day trips for fishing from then on. Interspersed with Kuiack’s personal history are the biographies of the famous guides who went before him.
This is an enjoyable read for anyone who likes reading nature stories or biographies of down-on-your-luck but resilient people. Four Stars!
#BooksGoSocial #TheLastGuide #NetGalley
Ron Corbett, a reporter following a lead on recent DNA testing of wolves in Algonquin Park indicating they were of the red wolf species instead of the previously assumed timber wolf, was referred to Frank Kuiack. Kuiack was as knowledgeable as anyone about the wolves in the park, Corbett was told, so he set up an interview.
When Corbett arrived at the sixty-something-year-old man’s house, he could tell immediately from the canoes in the yard and the fishing gear in the house that Kuiack had been a guide. Corbett asked him when he had retired and Kuiack surprised him by saying he wasn’t retired; he still guided.
At the end of the wolf interview, Corbett asked to go fishing with the older man. Kuiack said he was booked solid until the end of the season, and he would take him then.
It wasn’t until near the end of this multi-day fishing trip that Corbett learned his would be the last long guided trip. During the course of the trip, Kuiack’s story unfolds and we see why the spry sexagenarian was planning to only take short day trips for fishing from then on. Interspersed with Kuiack’s personal history are the biographies of the famous guides who went before him.
This is an enjoyable read for anyone who likes reading nature stories or biographies of down-on-your-luck but resilient people. Four Stars!
#BooksGoSocial #TheLastGuide #NetGalley
May 29, 2019
What an engaging book! It was difficult to put this one down, I felt like I was right there...I could smell the air, feel the fish, hear the people talking. To say I loved this book would be an understatement. This would be a great camp book, a wonderful gift for the fisherman or fisherwoman in your life, or even the perfect book to read in the depths of winter when the snow and dark closes in.
Heck, read it anytime and read it often. I know I will!
Heck, read it anytime and read it often. I know I will!
March 16, 2023
What a beautiful book to cast light on some of the most transitional years of conservation and development in Ontario. Sobbed at the end as the celebration of a life so beautiful and lived draws to an end. Reestablished my love and appreciation for the simple.
November 15, 2019
The Last Guide is the life story of Frank Kuiack, the last fishing guide to work in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada.
Ron Corbett, the author, alternates chapters on Frank's life with chapters describing a fishing trip Corbett took with Frank.
The story is heartwarming and entrancing, evoking the beauty of Algonquin Park, and a longing for the peace and tranquility of a way of life that has passed by. At the heart of the story is Frank's love for his wife, Marie, as well as his love for fishing. The book also describes Frank's struggles with alcohol and tells the tales of many of the other famous guides that populated the park throughout its history.
One of the great strengths of the book is Frank's total honesty in describing his life.
If you enjoy reading about nature, fishing, camping, canoeing, and the outdoor life, I highly recommend this poetic and inspirational story.
Ron Corbett, the author, alternates chapters on Frank's life with chapters describing a fishing trip Corbett took with Frank.
The story is heartwarming and entrancing, evoking the beauty of Algonquin Park, and a longing for the peace and tranquility of a way of life that has passed by. At the heart of the story is Frank's love for his wife, Marie, as well as his love for fishing. The book also describes Frank's struggles with alcohol and tells the tales of many of the other famous guides that populated the park throughout its history.
One of the great strengths of the book is Frank's total honesty in describing his life.
If you enjoy reading about nature, fishing, camping, canoeing, and the outdoor life, I highly recommend this poetic and inspirational story.
May 16, 2023
Exceptional! A beautifully written story about the last fishing guide in the Algonquin Highlands. Back when fishing guides meant something more important than they do now. Back when fishing guides weren't all about the money and hustling people.
Frank Kuiack (1936-2021) was just 8 years old when he started guiding in the Canadian Wilderness. Party story, part fishing, part history. All good!
It's been awhile since a fishing story has moved me to tears. I highly recommend. There are some formatting errors in the Kindle edition of this book. I hope to get a hard-copy soon. It's a keeper for sure.
"And did you get what You wanted from this life, even so? I did. And what did you want? To call myself beloved, to feel myself Beloved on the Earth." ~ Raymond Carver
Frank Kuiack (1936-2021) was just 8 years old when he started guiding in the Canadian Wilderness. Party story, part fishing, part history. All good!
It's been awhile since a fishing story has moved me to tears. I highly recommend. There are some formatting errors in the Kindle edition of this book. I hope to get a hard-copy soon. It's a keeper for sure.
"And did you get what You wanted from this life, even so? I did. And what did you want? To call myself beloved, to feel myself Beloved on the Earth." ~ Raymond Carver
February 24, 2019
What a lovely book.
February 4, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. An easy read and enjoyable description of a place that will always remain etched in my memory. I will probably read this again at some point.
June 6, 2019
A really fun, charming, warms-your-heart read. It's about an old fishing guide in the Algonquin Provincial Park in north-central Ontario named Frank Kuiack, Frank has been a guide since before he became a teenager (and he was born in 1935!). He witnessed the glory years of the Park's fishing lodges, and still continues guiding today.
The story is told through the author's eyes, as he goes fishing with Frank on one of his last, extended trips. Lots of great stories about fishing in "the old days", as well as some good bonding moments today.
The biography of Frank will make you laugh, as well as make you tear up. A formerly hard-drinking, hard-living man, Frank has no problem telling the author of his many mistakes over his life. And of his turning his life around with the help of friends and AA. The love he had for his wife, over his later years, is very touching.
All in all, this is a feel good book. I read it, on my Kindle, while on a canoe/fishing trip in the Boundary Waters last week. It really touched my heart.
I would recommend it to any fisherman, outdoorsman, or nature-lover.
The story is told through the author's eyes, as he goes fishing with Frank on one of his last, extended trips. Lots of great stories about fishing in "the old days", as well as some good bonding moments today.
The biography of Frank will make you laugh, as well as make you tear up. A formerly hard-drinking, hard-living man, Frank has no problem telling the author of his many mistakes over his life. And of his turning his life around with the help of friends and AA. The love he had for his wife, over his later years, is very touching.
All in all, this is a feel good book. I read it, on my Kindle, while on a canoe/fishing trip in the Boundary Waters last week. It really touched my heart.
I would recommend it to any fisherman, outdoorsman, or nature-lover.
August 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this book had a hard time putting it down once I picked it up and began reading. Interesting format: the author alternates chapters, telling Frank Kuiack’s biography for a chapter, then switching to his time spent on a fishing trip with the last traditional fishing guide in Algonquin Park that he took over several days.
While the story itself is quite enjoyable, one thing I found really annoying in the copy of the book I had was the typos. Just about every page had some kind of typographical error on it, (some pages had two or three) and that irritates me to no end. Looks like it was really poorly and quickly typeset.
I almost dropped the rating to a 3 because of that, but I just enjoyed the book too much despite all those horrible typos.
While the story itself is quite enjoyable, one thing I found really annoying in the copy of the book I had was the typos. Just about every page had some kind of typographical error on it, (some pages had two or three) and that irritates me to no end. Looks like it was really poorly and quickly typeset.
I almost dropped the rating to a 3 because of that, but I just enjoyed the book too much despite all those horrible typos.
January 5, 2025
The life and times of Frank Kuiack from the time he was a mere boy guiding guests in Algonquin Park to the best fishing spots to being the last guide in the park. An interesting account of the many stages of his life through his drunken times to being sober. This is a well written story that is hard to put down. Highly recommended - especially for anyone who has had any relationship with the park and its interior lakes.
September 1, 2017
Loved this book. True story of Frank Kuiack, the last Algonquin Park fishing guide. A beautiful story full of love for a woman,fishing, environment and a way of life. Accompanied by some gorgeous and intimate photos some of which almost made me cry. A lovely read, especially if you've spent any time in Algonquin Park.
January 27, 2025
Life, like fishing, is hard and wonderful!
An excellent story about life’s struggles and joys. A simple guidebook that takes the reader along the wandering path of daily life to the “secret spots” where happiness is captured in the journey … Very enjoyable read!
An excellent story about life’s struggles and joys. A simple guidebook that takes the reader along the wandering path of daily life to the “secret spots” where happiness is captured in the journey … Very enjoyable read!
July 30, 2025
4.75 stars. Tells the story of Algonquin park and the old time fishing guides through the life of the Last Algonquin Park fishing guide, Frank Kuiack.
If you're a fan of.the outdoors, this is a great and engaging read. I read through the book in two long sittings.
If you're a fan of.the outdoors, this is a great and engaging read. I read through the book in two long sittings.
July 18, 2017
Read this on a weekend fishing trip in Tessier reservoir.
Great combo.
Great combo.
October 10, 2022
This is a great story, but the book is greatly in need of editing. It was difficult to find even one page that wasn’t riddled with errors. It distracted from what would have been a great book.
January 12, 2023
18+ If you love camping/canoeing/fishing this is an inspiring story about a fishing guide in Canada and how he learns what is most important in life is relationship.
December 28, 2025
An easy read. Heartwarming story. Reminds me of my grandfather.
August 2, 2023
A beautiful portrait of a fascinating man who thoroughly belongs in his time and place... even when the rest of the world moves. Frank Kuiack begins guiding fishermen in Canada's Algonquin Park at the age of 8, and spends a lifetime on its lakes and portages (with a few side trips to grueling mining work and drowning his woes in a bottle to overcome along the way). Kuiack is crusty and curmudgeonly, yet ultimately both utterly likeable for his personality and respectable for his innate wisdom. This simple, pleasing volume inspires nostalgia and reflection.
June 22, 2023
This is a book I will remember. A unique but true story of wilderness guiding in Algonquin and beyond that, a testament to living a life true to one self. A must for those who love nature and the wilderness.
January 2, 2015
Beautifully short and sweet read about Algonquin Park that is surprisingly captivating. Anyone who has spent time in Algonquin knows why it is such a special place. Corbett's book shares insight into the park history, some unknown heroes of the guiding generation, and local communities in and around Algonquin.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has ventured into the park.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has ventured into the park.
November 20, 2020
Part nature story part biography, this book is absolutely fascinating. We learn not only about the last guide, but of guides that came before. Beautiful photos and easy to read anecdotes make this a very enjoyable read. A little slice of history, accessible to anyone who wants to pick up this book.
May 7, 2022
A great story about a life of a man who finds the right place for him in this world.
I read the book after seeing the interview with him. The book has more detail about his life and the people he has touched.
I read the book after seeing the interview with him. The book has more detail about his life and the people he has touched.
December 5, 2022
Algonquin Adventurer
So glad I found this story! Friends and I used fished in Renfrew county on Constan Lake. We always spoke about going to Algonquin. At least now I some idea of what it's like. Great story of love and redemption! Thanks Ron!
So glad I found this story! Friends and I used fished in Renfrew county on Constan Lake. We always spoke about going to Algonquin. At least now I some idea of what it's like. Great story of love and redemption! Thanks Ron!
March 2, 2012
Canadian story about the last fishing guide in Algonquin Park.
August 23, 2015
Great book about fishing in Algonquin. Very well written, I loved reading the history of fishing in Algonquin. Frank's life story was touching - could not put the book down!
December 18, 2015
a must read for any troller
August 14, 2020
Read while camping in Algonquin Park and enjoyed the story while living in its setting. Excellent piece of Canadiana legend.
January 20, 2014
I couldn't put it down!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews