“After nearly two years of work, I am very happy to present Feather Brain – Developing, Testing, & Improving Saltwater Fly Patterns.” Drew Chicone
The concept of this book is how to create saltwater fly patterns and the thought process that takes place to do so, not necessarily a how to tie this fly or that fly tutorial. Its meant to be a deep dive into “why” you should choose a given material or technique for creating custom patterns for constantly changing fishing situations and conditions. My goal is to shine a light on all the factors that must be consider to create saltwater flies that do more than look good on a website. Interviews with Fly Tying Masters like Eric Leiser, Johnny King, Bob Popovics, Chris Helm, and many more will give you a unique perspective as what factors led them to design their legendary pattens, and why they choose the materials they did and the techniques to apply them. It’s a lot to take in, but when you are done reading Feather Brian you will know how to analyze any saltwater fishing environment, selecting the right colors and materials and apply them using unique tips, tricks and techniques
Customer Reviews
Awesome book. I am an avid fly tyer who has been tying freshwater flies for 25 years and recently caught the "salt bug" on a tarpon trip to the Florida Keys. I most enjoy creating custom flies based on local prey and this book is a must have text for anyone making this switch. It is not a primer; it is much more. If you are already in the salt and want to customize your presentations, then Drew's Flowchart on how he breaks down material selection and fly design is worth the price of the book alone. Note to Drew: please make your full flowchart into a .pdf that I can buy, print, and put on the wall above my tying bench!
Freaking awesome! Great book, easy to follow . Perfect for fly fishermen and fly tiers of all experience levels. The signed copies was a super sweet touch as well! Thanks Drew!
Honestly this book has taken my thought process and tying ability to a whole new level. The amount of detail that I was not even taking into consideration is mind blowing, I am only about 40 pages in and I have already seen major improvement in my process when I sit down at the vise. I highly recommend this book and his other species specific fly books!! His redfish flies 2 book has been an awesome read and step by step to level up my tying game!!
Awesome, informative book. The detailed instructions on preparing and even creating materials has really helped my fly tying. Great stories of how the featured patterns came to be, and why they catch fish. I tied some variations of the asphyxiator fly in purple and green on size 02 TMC U502 hooks with purple grizzly tail, and hackle, large black/green dumbbell eyes, and silver doctor blue guinea feather clipped hackle in front of the eyes. They have been lots of fun for local bass in Oregon.
I enjoy the book and will continue to use it for years to come. I especially enjoy the technical sections of the book. Thank you!
Great explanation of many of the basic ideas that are the foundation of my fly tying. I re-read it every couple of years
Having tied flies for quite a few years I thought I knew a bit about feathers. Feather Brain changed that! Ideas for tying, dyeing, fixing, and selecting feathers significantly improved my efforts. beginner, intermediate or advanced tyer, I will benefit. I highly recommend Drew‘s Feather Brain!