A.K. Best

About Me

Basic Information

Gender

Birthday

01/01/1960

About me

A. K. Best is one of
the most respected names in fly fishing and tying. His many magazine articles over the
years has provided helpful knowledge for both the beginner and accomplished
tiers and anglers.
He's also known for his excellent fly fishing and tying books. If you
haven't read them you should. Every one of them. They are listed
below (scroll down).

In the photograph at
right, A. K. holds
a beautiful 27" Brown trout he caught on a dry fly, with a bamboo rod, in an Alberta beaver pond.
I don't recall him ever using anything but bamboo.

A. K. told me of his
recent (2004) tropical diving (snorkeling) trip and how much fun it was.
He is one of those die hard anglers with a passion to enjoy himself.

When I asked what the
initials "A.
K."
stands for he replied that in his school teaching days he would tell his
students it stood for "Always Kool." He still lives up to that
name. I have since discovered his real name but I wouldn't reveal
it to anyone, on purpose. Sometimes I get carried away though.

A. K. has a superior
tying talent that verifies him as a master-class tier. His unique flies
stand out among the rest and I can honestly say I've never seen better quality
or style. It was a pleasure photographing them. Ed.

A.
K. Best - His Books

Available at a
discount from our on-line store or by special request.

"Advanced
Fly Tying" - Proven
Methods & Techniques of a Master Professional
Fly Tyer - A.K. Best.

Introduction
by John Gierach.

A
"must" for every serious fly tyer.

This book has become a classic and will
become

a
collector's item some day. It is filled with hundreds of tying tips
and tricks by a master fly tier with years of

tying
and fishing under his belt.

"Dyeing
and Bleaching Natural Fly-Tying Materials" (1993)

A K
Best provides tiers with the first comprehensive study of color control in
natural fly tying materials
from dying and bleaching to melding fur dubbing. It is the definitive reference
on producing
custom color materials for your bench. It includes topics on material selection
and preparation,
dye types and applications as well as techniques to bring out colors unavailable
in
commercially produced materials.

"Production
Fly Tying: A Collection of Ideas, Notions, Hints, and Variations on the
Techniques of Fly Tying" (1990) (2003)

This
book reveals concise and comprehensive instructions.

It's
popularity demanded a new edition in 2003).

This
is a must have addition to any fly tiers library.

"A.
K.'s Fly Box" with introduction by John Gierach.

Archie,
ooops... I meant to say A. K. is by far one of my favorite tiers and
writers. He has photographs of the natural insects next to his fly
creations. This is a favorite of many fly tiers and one you will be glad
you bought.

Clear
instructions and great photos make this a must have book for those wanting to
tie the quill bodied flies he is famous for.

"Fly
Fishing With A. K." Stackpole Books (2005)

Available in our On
Line Store

Excerpted
from a chapter in this book: There is a cast I
learned from my old friend Koke Winter, the master of weird casts. It comes in
handy when you're fishing large, fast rivers where the fish are also large and
fast. I'm thinking of places like the Madison and Yellowstone rivers outside of
Yellowstone National Park. On these rivers you must often cast across stream
forty to sixty feet or more and land the fly on the far side of a series of
variable speed currents. Immediately after the fly lands on the water, quickly
strip (or have ready) five or six feet of line from the reel, lift the rod tip
slightly to one side, and instantly throw a tight roll cast directly toward the
fly. It's rather a savage action. You will usually throw a small loop of line
near the fly, and that is often just enough line to increase a drag-free drift
by as much as three or four feet.

It's also possible to throw this smaller loop nearly
anyplace between you and the fly to increase the length of a drag-free drift.
Just make sure the loop falls to the upstream side of your fly line.

This one really feels good when it works, especially
when a big fish takes the fly just before it begins to drag across current. (The
described action is much like throwing a loop against the far bank or behind
your fly to dislodge it from an exposed tree root or rock. Briskly raise your
rod the moment the loop lands behind the fly. The sudden tug in the opposite
direction will often free your fly.) Be ready to set the hook when you try this
one, because the action of the tight roll cast will often cause the fly to
twitch as much as six or eight inches and can trigger a strike when you least
expect it.

"A. K. Best's
Fly Box - How to Tie the Master
Fly-Tyer's Patterns"

Forward
by John Gierach.

This is
a book review from Robert D. Wilardson. that says it all:

"It's
rare to have the privilege and opportunity to learn from one of the all-time
grand masters of an art form and sport. A. K. Best is the Hemmingway, Van Gogh,
and Michael Jordan of the art of fly tying and sport of fly fishing. In A. K.
Best's Fly Box, I have been blessed with a detailed and well-written view and
description from inside the specialist's fly box. Not only have I learned which
flies are used by one of the true icons of the sport, but also how an expert has
perfected the art form. I am tying better flies, and catching more fish as a
result. I have greatly enjoyed and learned from this classic, and will continue
referring to and re-reading it for years to come."

Although A. K. only wrote the introduction in the below book, his
recommendation was enough for me to buy and read it. It is an excellent
book for anyone thinking of fishing Colorado.

"FLYFISHER'S
GUIDE TO COLORADO" by Marty Bartholomew, Barry Reynolds, A. K.
Best (Introduction). (New Edition 2002)

"This
book ranks, quite simply, as the most important manuscript ever compiled on
Colorado fishing. Never before has so much useful lore been presented under a
single title. If Bartholomew tried to pack in another single morsel, it might
pop through the book." — Denver Post

"Veteran
Colorado flyfishers and newcomers alike will be delighted with a new 512 page
book that explores the state's rich angling opportunities more comprehensively
than any reference before it." — Rocky Mountain News

Breaking
the state into six sections, Marty Bartholomew, fly-fishing guide and Colorado
native, blends his personal knowledge with the experience of state biologists
and regional shop owners to offer the most complete fly-fishing guide ever
offered on Colorado. An invaluable all-around resource designed to help anglers
fish and find their way around the state; Bartholomew attacks every aspect of
fly fishing Colorado’s pristine waters in this 608 page book. Also includes a
warm-water fishing section, 107 detailed maps, 68 seasonal hatch charts and
information on fly shops, lodging as well as other important travel information.