30 April 2019
New Zealand premium rod company CTS is excited to announce that Drew Chicone has joined its team as a US Ambassador.
Drew is an author, award-winning outdoor writer and fly designer, photographer, lecturer, and materials expert, whose passion for teaching the art of fly tying has inspired numerous how-to articles, books, and detailed instructional guides.
He has lived and breathed the sport since he was tall enough to sit at the vise, and his fly creations are well known and in high demand among saltwater anglers and guides across the globe.
“We’re pleased to have Drew and family join our CTS family”, said Stephen Pratt, Director of CTS, “we have for almost 20 years exported our world class blanks and rods to every corner of the US, and our Ambassador team is an important connection to this growing customer base”.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the CTS and Maven family and I’m excited to help showcase their world-renowned blanks and beautifully handcrafted rods. I’m really looking forward to working with them as an ambassador and experiencing all the new international fishing and friendship opportunities on the horizon”.
For more information, please contact Jono Winnel, +64 9 480 3015, jono@ctsfishing.com
ABOUT CTS
CTS is New Zealand’s world leading rod company. Its modern manufacturing facility is located in one of the world’s greatest and most beautiful fishing cities – Auckland, New Zealand.
Established in 1999, CTS constantly strives to develop new manufacturing techniques, materials and tooling profiles. The company has a significant investment in design and production tools, with much of its in-house machinery being custom built in order to cater for the ever-increasing demand for stronger, lighter and more highly refined blanks.
CTS’s engineering and design capabilities make it stand out from the crowd. Designs are all computer generated and all feedback from one design is used to improve the next. Each year, most CTS blanks will undergo around 3 to 5 design improvements.
ABOUT DREW CHICONE
Drew has been a FFF Certified Casting Instructor and commercial fly tyer for more than a decade. He is a designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants and his patterns are sold in quality fly shops and have appeared in over 70 U.S. and international publications. He is the winner of the 2016 and 2017 International Fly Tackle Dealer Best in Show Saltwater Fly Pattern Award, as well as the 2014 I.F.T.D. Iron Fly.
At the beginning of 2018, Drew partnered with Wild River Press books to publish 3 new titles; “Top Saltwater Flies – Bonefish”, “Top Saltwater Flies – Tarpon”, and “Top Saltwater Flies – Permit”. It’s the largest tying-instruction series on the subject ever published. The hardcover set is available for sale at www.topsaltwaterflies.com. Other Chicone titles include: , “Redfish Flies 2 (2019), “Largemouth Bass Flies” (2018), “Baby Tarpon Flies”” (2017), “Redfish Flies” (2014), “Snook Flies” (2013), “Essential Bonefish Flies: Andros” (2013), “Essential Permit Patterns” (2013) and “Feather Brain: Developing, Testing, Improving Saltwater Fly Patterns” (2013).
In addition to his ongoing work as an educator, Drew ties premium saltwater flies for sale through his company: Salty Fly Tying. He is the co-founder of Strip Strike University and frequently hosts destination schools and fishing adventures anywhere saltwater species swim. Drew is an Ambassador for the American Museum of Fly Fishing, Patagonia, Dyna-King, and Bote Paddle Boards. He holds a pro staff positions for Nautilus Reels, Airflo, as well as many other premium fly fishing manufacturers.
For more information about Drew, his latest works, and hosted trips, visit www.saltyflytying.com, or follow him @drchicone on Instagram. Chicone lives in Ft. Myers, Florida with his wife, Susan, and their daughter Lucy.
