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2005 Annual Banquet
A. K. BEST
- Born and raised on an Iowa farm.
- Educated in Iowa public schools.
- BME and MME degrees from Drake University, Des Moines, IA.
- Musician in 56th Army Band, Japan, 2 years.
- Professional musician, 12 years.
- Music educator, 24 years.
- Community symphony orchestra conductor, 4 years.
- Community concert board member, 17 years.
- Michigan State Arts Council advisor, 8 years.
- Fly Tyer and Fly fisher 40 years.
- Photographer, 45 years.
- Author of “Production Fly Tying”, Pruett Pub. Co., Boulder, CO. Has now
gone into a second edtion.
- Received 1989 book of the year award from United Fly Tiers, an
international organization for “Production Fly Tying”.
- Authored “Dying and Bleaching Natural Fly Tying Materials”, April , 1993,
Lyons and Burford, NY. This book was used as a text at the National Boy Scout
Jamboree in Virginia in July, 1993. Second edition available now.
- Author of “A. K.’s Fly Box”, Feb. 1996, Lyons & Burford, NY.
- Author of “Advanced Fly Tying”, poublished by Lyons Press
- Author of “Fly Fishing With A. K.” soon to be published by Stackpole
Over 100 articles written for the following:
- Contributor, “From The Vise” column for Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide.
- Contributor Editor, Fly Rod and Reel Magazine.
- Column, “A. K.’s Corner”, Fly Rod & Reel Web Site
- Fly Tying Editor, Fly Tying Board, VFS
- Contributor: “The Fly Tyer” magazine
- Lectured and demonstrated fly fishing and fly tying from coast to coast
and taught classes in fly tying in Colorado, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada,
New Mexico, New York, Wyoming, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Calgary,
Alberta Canada, California, Illinois, Michigan, Kansas, Arkansas, Alaska,
Texas, Toronto, Canada, Denmark, and the National Fly Tiers Symposium in New
Jersey.
- Have made some appearances which were sponsored by “The American Center
for the West”, of Colorado University in Boulder, Colorado to present an
outdoorsman’s look at the Rocky Mountain environment.
- Fly fished for Tarpon, Bonefish, Stripped Bass, Blue Fish, Bass, Pike,
Blue Gills, Crappie, Steelhead, Grayling, Char, Salmon, and all species of
trout.
- Originated a series of dyed quill body dry flies which are being produced
by Umpqua Feather Merchants, Inc. of Glide Oregon in their overseas fly tying
factories and sold throughout the nation and parts of Europe and Asia.
- Recently (11/98), produced with Video Adventures of Portland, OR, a series
of video tapes which include: “Tying Dry Flies” 120 min. (based on the book,
“Production Fly Tying”), “Tying Blue Wing Olives” 60 min., “Tying Caddis &
Midges” 60 min., “Tying Callibaetis & Green Drakes” 60 min., “Tying Nymphs &
Wet” 60 min., and “Tying Terrestrials” 60 min. An Additional 5 tapes were
produced in early ‘99: “Tying Tiny Dry Flies” 55 min., “Tying Streamers” 100
min., “Tying With Quills” 60 min., “Techniques for Tying Saltwater Flies” 120
min., “Tying Biot Duns and Melon Quills” 60 min. All tapes are based on the
books, “Production Fly Tying” and “A. K.’s Fly Box.”
- Quill body flies were exhibited in Boulder, CO and Moscow, ID Museums
through the program: “Confluence, Art and the Trout Fly”.
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