Norm Maktima

Growing up in northern New Mexico presented Norman Maktima with plenty of outdoor opportunities. His childhood was spent hunting, hiking, camping, and mostly fishing. At the age of seven he took to the fly rod and has fished his way across the world!

1998 was the first World Youth Fly Fishing Championships, which were held in Wales, UK. The US youth team fished well and finished with a Team silver medal! Norman, in his first year of competitive fly fishing won the individual Gold medal! Since then he has earned a spot on the adult Fly Fishing Team USA’s roster competing in Sweden, Slovakia, Italy, Slovenia, and Norway for the World Fly Fishing Championships. Slovenia has been his best finish since the Youth World championship, finishing in 6th out of 105 competitors. Along with World Championships, Norman has had two 3rd place finishes in the US National Fly Fishing Championships in 2009 (with a Team Silver) and 2011 (with a team Gold). He finished 2nd in the Canadian National Championships in 2008, with a Team Gold. Recently, in the 2013 America Cup, he and his teammates of Team Naranja took Gold. As a result of his competition experience, Norman has developed several flies as a signature tyer for Umpqua Feather Merchants.

Apart from guiding, Norman loves to teach aspects of fly fishing to those wanting to expand there skills and techniques. The knowledge he has gained from time on the water is passed on through clinics and classes, ranging from casting, rigging, euronymphing, standard techniques, loch style techniques, and fly tying. As well Norman has organized and hosted three Southwest Regional Qualifiers in New Mexico to give others an opportunity to compete and try to earn a spot on Fly Fishing Team USA. Norman’s belief is; what knowledge he has gained does no good if no-one else is able to benefit from it!