Artical: Norm Wood Special

There is a slight breeze down stream; I stop to shorten my leader in an attempt to make it easier to turn over the large fly I'm casting. The pattern I'm fishing with is a Norm Wood Special. To me its one of if not thee best patterns ever developed to imitate an adult Golden Stone Fly I've ever used. This fly has taken many large Trout on the Deschutes and other rives in the West. I have tried it on every trip I've gone on, and more times than not, it just plain worked.

Here is why the Norm Wood Special is so effective. The combination of materials and the simplistic manner in which it's tied gives it the uncanny buggy natural look when it is on the water. The body is made of rug yarn that absorbs just enough moisture to darken and force the fly to ride low just beneath the surface. The wing is Calf tail and it is the only thing that's actually on the surface supporting the rest of the pattern. The Calf tail also allows light to filter through, even low light, to give a sort of shimmering movement quality to this critter.

Before I fish this fly I like to apply dry fly dressing to just the wing and the front hackle to insure that it sets properly on the surface, remember you want it to ride low, and in some cases you should let it get drawn below the surface from the natural hydraulics because that's what accurse with the naturals. The other wonderful thing about Calf tail is that it traps air, so when and if it does get pulled under the air that's in the wing will release a stream of small bubbles that looks very normal to the fish and will not hesitate in its decision to eat.

I've had the privilege of meeting and knowing Mr. Wood (thee originator of this pattern) in the early 80s when this fly was only known by Norm, and his clients. He would not share this fly with just anyone because he felt that there was a definite advantage over other similar patterns, and he was right!

One afternoon he came into my store (The Oasis North Shop) and asked me if I had ever fished his Norm Wood Special. I replied that I had not, but that I had heard good things about it from his clients that had told me about how consistently well it worked. I told him that I tied up something that was as close to it as I could get, but I was having some difficulty matching its wing color and I also wasn't sure about the yarn he used. I asked him if he wouldn't mind sharing that with me. He paused for a few seconds, then started to laugh and said, oh what the hell, I'll tell ya, as long as ya keep it to yourself.

I agreed to that and he proceeded to give me his formula for the now well known Norm Wood Special.

He asked if I would make sure to tie a good amount of back stock so he could get them here, so he wouldn't have to tie so many, and to keep them under the counter for his clients. I also agreed to that and gave him my word on a hand shake. Good,.. done,.. he said with relief.

One year later Norm and I were visiting and he informed me that he was planning on retiring from guiding. He said, ya know, I'm not gona be around here much any more, but my clients will, so you might just as well put my bug out in your bins to sell with the rest of your fly inventory. Shortly after that people started realizing how effective this fly was and the rest is history.

I think by now you all have a good idea that this pattern is one you should have in your fly boxes and not just for the Deschutes River, but for any river in the west. It's a great cross over pattern for hoppers and I've even taken a felt marker, changed the color of the body to burnt orange for the Fall Caddis and ripped lips!!! There are some great yarns out now to customize this guy to match just about anything you want. So go crazy!!

Well there you have it, a brief history of the Norm Wood Special. This is a great time of year for it so come on over and have some fun!!!



Thanks a lot, See-ya John Smeraglio