Fly Rod Crosby Outdoor Lifetime Achievement Award

The Fly Rod Crosby Lifetime Outdoor Achievement Award is presented annually by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to individual who is dedicated to the stewardship and wise use of Maine's natural resources and who has been active in the Maine outdoors for a lifetime.

The Fly Rod Crosby Lifetime Outdoor Achievement Award honors not only the annual recipient, but also recognizes Cornelia "Fly Rod" Crosby, and her work in promoting and showcasing Maine's outdoors.

Crosby is well known as Maine's first registered guide, a program that she worked hard to establish, but she was also an outdoor mentor, and an ambassador for the state. For 15 years, she wrote an outdoors column in the local newspaper, the Phillips Phonograph, in which she detailed her outdoor adventures, passing on tips and tales that helped others enjoy the outdoors. She organized Maine sporting exhibits at national sportsman's shows in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, showcasing the wonders of Maine's rich outdoor resources, and of course, she guided, sometimes introducing people to their first taste of the Maine outdoors, and for those more experienced, helped fine tune their skills.

Nomination Information

To be eligible, nominees must have hunted, trapped, and fished in Maine for a combined total of 40 years. For example, to meet that requirement an individual may have fished for 20 years, trapped for 10 years, and hunted for 10 years; or could have fished for 30 years and hunted for 10 years. Ideal candidates would also be active in mentoring, teaching, or instructing outdoor activities.

Nominations should include the nominees name, address, phone number, photograph and a few paragraphs about the individual, their experience in the Maine outdoors, and an explanation of why they are a deserving candidate. The nominators contact information should also be included.

Nominations must be submitted between January 1 and July 1 of the calendar year and can be sent by email to Emily MacCabe at Emily.MacCabe@maine.gov or by mail to 353 Water St, SHS 41, Augusta, Maine 04333.

Download nomination form (PDF) or submit a nomination online

2026 Fly Rod Crosby Outdoor Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient – Matthew Scott

A lifelong resident of Belgrade, Matthew "Matt" Scott has hunted and fished since childhood and has been a Registered Maine Guide for decades. For Matt, guiding has always been about teaching. Generations of Scouts, students, anglers, families, and fellow outdoor enthusiasts have learned from him how to canoe, fish, camp, understand Maine's fish and wildlife, and care for the places they enjoy.

Matt has spent much of his life helping others protect Maine's waters. He helped create Maine's volunteer lake-monitoring program and trained volunteers to collect and report water-quality data. That effort grew into Lake Stewards of Maine, a statewide organization with more than 700 volunteers.

His professional career began in 1959 with the Atlantic Salmon Commission. He went on to serve as a regional fishery biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, became the first biologist at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and later served as Deputy Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Throughout his career, he helped shape Maine's approach to fisheries, water quality, habitat, and natural-resource management.

Matt has also shared his time and expertise through many boards and organizations. He has served as president and a board member of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine, chaired the Maine Guides Advisory Board, served on the Maine Board of Environmental Protection, and led the North American Lake Management Society. He has supported salmon restoration through Project SHARE and the Downeast Salmon Federation and contributed to conservation efforts in the Belgrade Lakes region and across the state. A tireless advocate for public access, Matt helped oversee approval of the Department's Mere Point Boat Launch in Brunswick while chairing the Board of Environmental Protection.

His teaching extends beyond hunting and fishing. Matt has led canoe and camping trips for young people through the Boy Scouts and shared a wide range of outdoor skills. A longtime beekeeper and former president of both the Maine Beekeepers Association and the Eastern Apicultural Society, he has taught beekeeping through adult education and mentored new beekeepers. He also donated a conservation easement on his 100-acre farm to protect habitat for future generations.

Now in his 90s, Matt continues to hunt, fish, teach, write, speak, mentor, and serve. Like Fly Rod Crosby, he has spent a lifetime sharing his love of Maine's outdoors. His influence can be seen in the people he has taught, the waters he has helped protect, and the generations who have learned from his example.

Past Recipients

Over the years, we have honored many deserving individuals whose impact on friends and family could fill books.

• 2015 Harland Hitchings and Joseph Boudreau
• 2016 Gary Cobb, Jim Martin, and Oscar Cronk
• 2017 Carole Dyer and Gabriel Giguere
• 2018 Dana Johnson and Roger Milligan
• 2019 Charlie Mann and George Smith
• 2020 (awarded in 2021) Dan and Sally McAllister
• 2022 Galen Ruhlin
• 2023 Jack Gibson
• 2024 Alexandra Conover Bennett and Tenley Skolfield
• 2025 Carroll Cutting and Don Dudley