Soooo…
Sitting at the vise the last couple of nights filling a couple of fly boxes I got for Christmas, one for me, one for a friend. I was making the usual caddis, small stones, wulffs, etc.
I decided that I would attempt the one fly that always causes me fits. The Humpy. I can NEVER do this fly right. Either the tail gets caught up in the hump, or the hump slides, or the wings are too long/short or too thick or thin… The only part I get right is the hackle.
So the upshot is, as usual, the fly looks like someone with half a brain made it (may be something to that as well). And this was after razorblading the first one I tried. I am DONE!! I firmly believe that there are just some flies meant to be bought, and this one is mine. No mas. Never again.
I know this thread is on nemesis fly, but perhaps there is some space also for yours.
Many people struggle with Humpies - and by and large the single most frustrating aspect has to do with proportions. Get the proportion wrong at the start, and there is no recovery possible. Get the proportions, in this case the length of tailing material, and shellback/wing material correct, and the pattern becomes very manageable.
Can I suggest you review the video I shot on tying a Humpy? You might find it useful.
Tying the wing in first, it comes out right (almost) every time. Again, like Hans states, proportions are critical. Thread control/tension are important, too; push the thread close to the breaking point and you’ll get a sturdy fly, don’t and you’ll have an unintentional “spinner”. Try both methods and I think you’ll be happy with the results.
My nemesis fly is actually a Kauffman’s stone nymph. I can never get the wings/wing cases quite right. The good news is that they don’t have to look great to be effective.
The humpy is a hard one for me also, again, luckily, the so-so looking ones still catch fish.
If you make the tail out of moose main and measure it the length of the hook shank from the eye of the hook and the deer hair from the eye of the hook and slightly shorter than the moose main then you should be able to flip the deer hair without grabbing the moose. Then flip the deer hair and tie off right where you tied in your clump of deer then you should have the right length of deer to form the wings. Watch Hans’s video on tying the Humpy, it is a great video and will help you with you proportions. Good luck and let’s see a picture when you get one tied up.
Not a pattern per se but rather a technique. Spinning deer hair. Try as do I have difficulty consistently getting right. I have no problems stacking deer hair though.
90% of my fishing is with my original patterns and the rest of it is with stuff like soft hackle pheasant tail nymphs, Griffith Gnats and Renegades - so I don’t have a nemesis.
As far as humpies go - from Al and Gretchen Beatty, use antron rather than hair for the hump and the wings. No problem with proportions unless you don’t cut the wing the right length when you are finished tying the fly.
I read recently that an imperfect fly presented well will catch a lot more fish than the perfect fly fished poorly.
We’ve all heard guys say their ties are quick and dirty to catch fish,not for show.
Well in most cases I believe them, but in others I think its a guy who’d like to tie better but just never took the time to refine his skills.
Personally, I don’t tie a lot of patterns but the ones I do have to meet a certain criteria; they have to catch fish and
they have to look good me,that doesn’t mean pattern perfect.
Case in point, The McGinty on small impoundments in southwestern ND.
I’ve probably caught more nice browns and bows with him in a #10 or 8 than on any other fly.
Most of those fish were caught on McGintys with pretty poor excuses for wings.,the trout didn’t mind but I kinda did.
So you might say the Mc was my nemesis for awhile. Solution? How about using the pinch wrap instead of just reading about it.
BL? Refining one’s skills ultimately won’t slow you down, on the contrary, and in the end you just might be a more satisfied tyer.
At least that’ how it’s been working out for me.
My nemesis fly is the Hairwing Dun. I always screw up the wing. I always produce a wing that rides to low on the body and doesn’t produce that nice upswing.
I had been tying the Hairwing for years and loved it but could never get the wing to turn out consistently, until I saw Hans’ CDC & Elk video; that seemed to fix it for me.
To the best of my knowledge there are significant differences between Rene’s Hairwing Dun and Al’s EHC. The Hairwing Dun has split tail, has hackle only on the front half of the body, has the hackle trimmed flush underneath and indeed, a more upright wing.
That’s what I was trying to point out Hans
Thanks for that though
Someone referenced your Caddis pattern as being a good video to use in aligning hair for a hair wing dun…,
