Remembering A.K. Best

Remembering A.K. Best

It’s with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our fly fishing hero, mentor, and dear friend, A.K. Best.i His favorite quote still makes us smile: “It doesn’t matter how big the fish are, your hands still smell the same.” That was A.K., full of wisdom, humor, and perspective.

Rocky Mountain National Park was his sanctuary. Even from a younger age, those streams were his favorite place to be. His passion for the streams in RMNP & the Frying Pan was unmatched, and his love for the details of dry flies was nothing short of poetry. Listening to him speak about dries was like hearing a song, measured, thoughtful, and deeply inspiring.

Away from the water, A.K. was never without his camera, capturing the same beauty he chased with a fly rod. He also carried with him a deep love for the Big Band era, an incredible musician whose stories could keep you on the edge of your seat for hours.

We’ll forever remember the image of A.K. on the banks of his favorite RMNP stream, old bamboo rods, little cigars, and that unmatched cast. At 92, he could still cast better than all of us at the shop. A true dry fly purist, any mention of a nymph was quickly met with his classic line: “You f*ing bait fisherman.”

He opened the doors for us back in 1982, and his spirit continues to live in everything we do here at Front Range Anglers.

We miss the legend, the mentor, the poet of dry flies. Rest easy, A.K., your passion and legacy will forever flow through these rivers.

RIP A.K. Best

 

Best was a fishing buddy of John Gierach and featured in many of his stories. John died last fall. I thought Best was the same age but had no idea he was so much older at 92.

Reading about Gierach and Best’s adventures was a bigger part of my fishing life than I realized until now so it is sad to see them go.