Bell canoe made a bunch of canoes that are much admired by serious paddlers. They were especially known for purpose-built solo canoes that were seaworthy and fast. Royalex is a fantastic canoe material though Dave is right that it is hard to paint. I've had luck repairing small dings with JB Weld, and there used to be a 2 part epoxy putty specifically for Royalex that I could get from Old Town. I assume that with Royalex off the market, the repair putty is gone, too. I've also put on skid plates over worn spots on bow and stern with 2 part epoxy and a few layers of fiberglass. None of them have failed. I assume you could repair a crack or tear the same way, though I have never done it. I've had one of my Royalex canoes since 1995, and I bought it used when it was old enough that all the wood gunwales, seats and thwarts were rotten and needed to be replaced. I'd guess it dates to at least the late 70's. It's still going strong.
I do not know the "Angler" model from Bell. Personally, I'm a big fan of 16-18 foot canoes with some rocker and a shallow arch or shallow V hull. They are more versatile--track pretty well on flatwater but maneuverable enough for rapids--and carry two people and gear when needed, but are still small enough that one man can car top them and paddle them solo. 14.5 would be a nice solo canoe, but too small to be comfortable as a tandem I'd fish or shoot from with a partner. I also spend a lot of time on salt water and big lakes, where a small canoe feels REALLY small. If you were mostly on puddles, in the marsh, or on small streams, the smaller size might be an asset.
OTOH, I am known to be particular, and there are piles of short, wide, flat-bottomed "sportsman" canoes on the market that many posters here love. These tend to feel more stable, and are more comfortable to cast from, but can't handle real weather and waves like the bigger and more seaworthy boats can.
