Grand Marais Lions Club reflects on legacy of Bob Spry as Fisherman’s Picnic nears

For many, memories of Fisherman’s Picnic are accompanied by a smiling Bob Spry zooming around town on his Segway wearing a yellow vest adorned with buttons.

Whether helping at the tractor pull, supervising the fish toss, or handing out the ‘big congratulatory check’ to the raffle winner, he was an inherent part of the annual Fish Pic festivities in Grand Marais.

“We’re missing him immensely,” Todd Smith, the Grand Marais Lions Club president, said. “It’s really tough to replace somebody like Bob Spry.”
During the most recent Lions Club meeting on July 25, members sat around eating fishburgers and reminiscing about Spry’s legacy with the Grand Marais Lions Club. Smith said they talked about his 40-year commitment to the Lions Club and how much he enjoyed doing the fireworks shows.

In addition to his firework duties, Spry was often found manning the raffle ticket booth during Fisherman’s Picnic. Smith said Spry was frequently seen collecting cans around town. “He was always downtown picking up the cans in all the recycling bins.”

While the 2023 Fisherman’s Picnic will be missing an integral community member, Smith said the Lion’s Club feels prepared for the upcoming festivities.

An exciting addition to this year’s Fisherman’s Picnic is a new 90,000 BTU propane deep fryer and hood for the fishburger food truck. “It’s just going to make the operation much smoother,” Smith said.

Another exciting addition this year, Smith said, is the size of the fish. “The fish this year are huge. I’ve never seen herring this size before.” Due to the enlarged size of the herring, the fishburgers will be served on a hoagie bun.

Smith explained that North Superior Fishery has been incredibly helpful in securing and pre-breading the fish for the Lion’s Club. “I really want to have a shout-out to the North Superior Fishery for all the help that they’ve done.”

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Todd Smith, the Grand Marais Lions Club president, about Bob Spry and the upcoming 2023 Fisherman’s Picnic. Audio from the interview is below.

Kalli Hawkins July 31, 2023