Old Town Guide vs. Saranac

[bloc004]

Just wondering if anyone has opinion which would be a better canoe. looking at the guide and the xt angler. Mostly going to be used for fishing and relaxing trips with the wife.

Are there any issues with the durability with the seats in either?

[Stick in Mud]

I've only been in one Old Town Guide 147, so I can't comment on the other canoe. That being said, I really did not like the Old Town. It felt unreasonably tippy for a heavy, cheap canoe. I don't know what the secondary stability is on them, but the initial stability sucked. Just my .02.

[nofishfisherman]

I can't speak for both canoes but I've been in a few Old Towns and own a 147. Durability on them shouldn't be an issue. I think they are designed to withstand a small nuclear explosion. I'm convinced that after nuclear war all that will be left are cockroaches and Old Town Guide canoes.

The 147 does have fairly poor initial stability like carmike mentioned but from my experience that seems to be an issue for just the 147 the others have all been real stable and would make a nice fishing canoe. I've taken longer Old Towns out on the St. Croix near St. Croix State Park and did a lot of fishing out of them and they were stable and nice to fish out of. But I have also taken my 147 out fishing alot and have even done a short BWCA trip with it and it worked just fine.

[Stick in Mud]

As nofish says, I can't see durability being much of an issue with the 147...the thing is a tank. I've paddled them down small rocky rivers in the SE corner of the state, and they're amazingly durable.

And as nofish also says, it is a serviceable canoe. If you've got some experience in them, you'll be fine, though the initial stability is annoying and possibly troublesome for an inexperienced paddler. For what it's worth, I've never paddled that version of the Angler XT, but other "fishing" canoes I've been in were wonderfully stable.