Kayak,Canoe, Rowing and Fishing: Learning Adventures in Mid-Coast Maine
Abkenoc (Ab-ken-oc) Guiding
We kayak, canoe, row, fish and learn on Maine's rocky coast
We welcome families &all abilities
About the name AB-KEN-OC
The Native Americans here had intimate knowledge and connection with the natural world, an understanding which we strive to bring to you. Our name honors them, the ABenaki, "the people of the dawn land". KENnebec is their name for the vast river that defines our area. And the tidal lower section of this river, its estuary and its mouth, is the SagadahOC. It is our home. Ab-ken-oc is our aspiration to guide you deeper into life.
WE HELP YOU Experience the Natural World
Kayaking and Canoeing Trips
Fly Fishing for Stripers and Bass
Fly Fishing for Stripers and Bass
In kayaks and canoes we deftly explore Maine's dramatic coastal shorelines and its pristine lakes, ponds and rivers efficiently and safely. We learn the ways and skills of this coastal world, working with the challenges of tide, current, weather and habitat to do and see what few others can. Have a look at our trips and get in touch to put something together that fits YOU.
Fly Fishing for Stripers and Bass
Fly Fishing for Stripers and Bass
Fly Fishing for Stripers and Bass
The sudden slam and surging power of a striped bass is all the more thrilling with the delicate feel of a fly rod and the satisfaction of a well placed cast among the waves and rocks. For freshwater anglers our world-class smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing on sublime lakes and rivers is exciting, beautiful and memorable. While our reputation is for fly fishing, we love spin fishing as well. You get a champion fly casting guide, top shelf gear and 50+ fishy years experience!
Freshwater Bass Fishing
Fly Fishing for Stripers and Bass
Overnight and Multi-Day Camping
Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass on mid-coast Maine's freshwater lakes, pond and rivers is world class, Whether you choose to fly-fish or spin, the scenery and action are terrific. We use either canoes/kayaks or for greater distances we have our 15 ft Tracker powerboat (2 guests max). A Maine fishing license is needed.
Overnight and Multi-Day Camping
Overnight and Multi-Day Camping
Overnight and Multi-Day Camping
For those who choose to immerse completely in the dramatic world of Maine's coastal islands, try the warmth and camaraderie of a beach campfire, tall tales, and our classic camp dinners under the canopy of stars. Our state of the art tents and other gear make for comfortable dreams, hushed by the surf and the salt breeze. We can even support more ambitious routes, comfort, and meals with support from our 18 ft boat EndorFin.
Rowing and Sculling
Overnight and Multi-Day Camping
Rowing and Sculling
A beautiful and technically intriguing option is sculling in one of our sliding-seat singles. Unlike canoe or kayak paddling, sculling uses the whole body to apply power in a graceful, poetic motion that is a delight in itself. Oliver has over 25 years experience instructing, touring and even enduring the famous 25 mile Blackburn Challenge. We offer guide boats and open-water racing singles (for the more experienced rower).
EndorFin Power
Overnight and Multi-Day Camping
Rowing and Sculling
"EndorFin" is 18 ft of agile, seaworthy adventure. Its modified-V hull handles waves smoothly, but its shallow draft lets us get up close and personal- perfect for striper fishing. With this mobility a half or full day trip can cover a wide range of habitats, cruise lighthouses and forts, hike and picnic on remote islands We also offer support for more ambitious offshore camping trips, bringing supplies that can't fit in the kayaks.
Camp Nowhere
Learning .... and Much More
Photography Focus
Camp Nowhere is a step back in time to the hand-hewn world a century ago.
It's a one-room cabin of warm hemlock timbers, perched in pine-oak forest above a tidal bay and marsh. The sounds of woodpeckers, geese and rustling leaves tell their stories of a living world; the canoes, kayaks and trails offer entry to its classrooms. Complete the day's adventures of kayaking, rowing, or fly fishing at Camp Nowhere with maps, native artifacts, tall tales ... and a relaxed sunset.
Photography Focus
Learning .... and Much More
Photography Focus
Photography has become essential and universal, but knowledge of how to make images that are evocative, compelling and beautiful is not instinctive or obvious. At Abkenoc Guiding we can teach you technical and artistic elements of photography to enhance your vision of the natural world even with a cell phone or point-and-shoot. We also offer to professionally document your trip with video and fine-art quality photographs.
Learning .... and Much More
Learning .... and Much More
Learning .... and Much More
All of our adventures are oriented toward learning the skills and insights to make the natural world more enjoyable, useful, and safe for your continuing explorations. I work with your interests .... photography, biology, history, weather, wildlife, etc ... so we learn while we explore together. We've provided guiding and video footage of seals for CNN Heroes on behalf of Marine Mammals of Maine and LyndaAda Doughty
Your Guide - Oliver Dominick (... and Winnie)
A lifelong passion for Nature
A lifetime of outdoor adventure
A lifelong passion for Nature
During my childhood summers in the remote wilderness of New Brunswick, leathered French-Canadian trapper/guides, “men with the bark on”, taught me the ways of the woods with just a canoe, a map and compass, a knife, some butter, and a fly-rod as our means. My love of nature started then and has shaped my life ever since.
A lifetime of outdoor adventure
A lifetime of outdoor adventure
A lifetime of outdoor adventure
After college I did a PhD in biology and somehow made a career in behavioral physiology in between my constant excursions for fly fishing and mountaineering. My love of research, teaching, and outdoor adventure has let me live, work and explore in many wild parts of the world, including six times in Africa. For the past twenty years in Ma
After college I did a PhD in biology and somehow made a career in behavioral physiology in between my constant excursions for fly fishing and mountaineering. My love of research, teaching, and outdoor adventure has let me live, work and explore in many wild parts of the world, including six times in Africa. For the past twenty years in Maine I've loved helping people like you learn and enjoy the natural world that has been my life.
And “Winnie, the dog”... is a delightful window into that world. Join us, and learn where you can go.