Drew Chicone

Andrew "Drew" Chicone (born 1979) is an American author, saltwater fly designer, fly fisherman and fly casting instructor. He writes books and magazine articles demonstrating how to tie saltwater fly patterns, primarily focused on warm-water fish and fly fishing from standup paddleboards.

Biography

Early life Chicone grew up in upstate New York, where he learned how to tie flies at the age of six from his parents.; the first fish he caught with a fly he tied was a Landlocked Salmon. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in business from Hartrwick College in 2001.

Writing career

Chicone started his fly tying business in 2008, followed by publishing a monthly email newsletter in 2012 with the desire to "spread the word about new or unique materials, techniques and patterns."

He is a contributing writer for Patagonia, and is a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. A number of his articles with his patterns and fly tying instructions have appeared in fishing and fly tying magazines including USA Today Hunt & Fish, Fly Tyer, Fly Life Magazine and Salt Water Sportsman as well as smaller fly fishing and fly tying magazines. He has appeared on ESPN 99.3 Reel Talk Radio and was profiled in Fly Tyer Magazine, which called him ed the "reigning king of fly tying methodology" .

In 2013, Stackpole Books published his first book, Feather Brain: Developing, Testing, and Improving Saltwater Fly Patterns, which provides step-by-step instructions and photos for tying 14 flies that he designed. The book received endorsements from industry peers Jonny King and the late Eric Leiser.

Chicone's largest book, Top Saltwater Flies (Wild River Press), consists of a species-specific book for each of bonefish, permit and tarpon. The work is nearly 900 pages, reportedly the largest book written on the topic of fly tying.

Most of his later books are self-published species-specific guides with instructions and photographs for tying fly designs created by Chicone and other designers or professional fly fishermen, sometimes combined with interviews with the original creator. Some of his designs have been regarded as effective by peers, won industry awards and included in books by other authors.

Chicone is or has been on many pro teams including Dyna-King, Nautilus, Hardy, Whiting Farms, Daiichi, Mustad, and Loon.

He has also invented materials and tools for fly tying which are sold by Hareline Dubbin. Some of Chicone's fly patterns which have been commercially tied and sold by Orvis & Umpqua Feather Merchants. He works as a fly casting instructor and has been credited with a casting method called the misdirection cast.

Family Chicone lives in Fort Myers, Florida with his wife and daughter.

Published works

Books

2013: Navigating the Foodservice Channel: A Guide to Understanding the Foodservice Business, 2013: Snook Flies: 8 Proven Patterns For Catching Snook From The Beach, 2013: Feather Brain: Developing, Testing, & Improving Saltwater Fly Patterns, 2013: Essential Permit Patterns, 2013: Essential Bonefish Flies, 2014: Redfish Flies: Eight Effective Patterns for Catching Redfish, 2017: Baby Tarpon Flies: Six Effective Patterns for Catching Juvenile Tarpon, 2017: Top Saltwater Flies - Bonefish, 2017: Top Saltwater Flies - Tarpon, 2017: Top Saltwater Flies - Permit, 2018: Largemouth Bass Flies: Seven Effective Patterns For Catching Largemouth Bass, 2019: Redfish Flies 2: Advanced Techniques for Tying Eight Winning Redfish Patterns, 2019: Snook Flies 2: Eight Effective Patterns for Catching Backcountry Snook, 2020: Paddle Board Fly Fishing - A Beginner's Guide to SUP'',

Awards 2017: Winner of the 2017 IFTD (International Fly Tackle Dealer Show) New Product Showcase Award, Saltwater Fly Pattern, "Chicone’s Tuscan Bunny". 2016: Winner of the 2016 AFFTA (American Fly Fishing Trade Association) New Product Showcase Award, Saltwater Fly Pattern, "Contraband Crab". 2014: Winner of the 2014 IFTD (International Fly Tackle Dealer Show) Iron Fly competition.