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The Yellow Humpy
Many notable tiers have played a part in developing what is
now called the Humpy. This fly was born in the American
West and mostly designed to float well in the faster waters
of the Rocky Mountains. It catches fish nearly everywhere.
Materials List:
Hooks: Daiichi 1180, Mustad 94840 or equivalent
Thread: 3/0 Yellow
Tail: Deer hair
Body: Yellow 3/0 thread
Shellback: Deer hair
Wings: Tips from shellback
Hackle: grizzly, cree, or brown/grizzly
Tying Instructions:
1. Mash down barb and place hook in vise.
2. Start thread directly above barb.
3. Stack a small bunch of deer hair, tie in as tail. length=shank.
4. Stack a clump of deer hair. Tie in at tail so tips extend out past tail
(length from tie in point=1 and a 1/2 shank lengths). Secure butts to
midshank. Trim excess butts.
5. Put several layers of thread over the tied down
butts, covering completely with yellow thread, and
building up a bit to make a bulky body.
6. Pull deer hair forward over body as a shellback,
secure forward to 1/4 shank from eye.
7. Pull tips upright and place several wraps of
thread just front of them, so
they stand upright when released.
8. Divide the tips in half with fingers or scissors
and place figure 8 wraps to keep them divided.
9. Put a couple wraps around the base of each wing.
10. Tie in hackle. Wrap hackle forward to eye,
it should be very dense and full. Tie in and trim excess.
11. Whip finish, cut thread, and cement.
Fishing the Fly:
The Humpy is a good all around attractor pattern. It
can be tied in any color. Some people tie it with a very
slim body. Not me, I say if you want a slim bodied, high
floater, use a Wulff. Humpys should be big and fat. They
float like a cork. They work very well in the summer and
fall as they imitate a number of terrestrials. They are also
a good searching pattern when no hatch is evident. Generally,
it is fished dead drift. But, sometimes I like to use the Humpy
as an indicator when fishing small emergers or midges in
rougher water. Although it isn't usually used to imitate any
thing in particular, it sure does catch fish. ~Matt Lyon
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