Hippie Stomper

Hippie Stomper

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Tying Instructions

1.  Attach the hook to the vise and apply some adhesive to the shank. This will anchor the thread to the hook shank.

2. Lay down a tight thread foundation from behind the eye to the bend of the hook.

3. Clip a bundle of Moose Body Hair, clean off the underfur, and even the tips in a hair stacker. Measure the hair bundle so that it will be about one shank length. Apply another swab of adhesive to the thread foundation to secure the moose hair from rotating. I’m using Sally’s Hard as Nails. 

4. Attach the Moose Hair at the bend of the hook with a couple of tight wraps and secure the bundle to the top of the hook shank up to an eye length behind the eye. In wrapping, lift up on the bobbin on each wrap to keep the bundle centered on the top of the shank.

5. Cut two foam strips that are equal or slightly wider than the hook gap.  One will be the black overbody and will be 1mm thick for sizes 6 to 10. The other one will be 2mm thick and will be the underbody.  The underbody layer can be either black or a different color and is thicker of the two. Trim each strip to a point.

6. Matching the foam strips so that the thinner over body is below the thicker underbody, attach the points just behind the hook eye with tight thread wraps. 

7. Anchor the two foam strips to the tops of hook shank with tight wraps to the bend of the hook. Wrap back to the eye.

8.  Tie in two strands of holographic flashabou and secure the flashabou to the top of the body back to the bend of the hook. 

9. Return the thread to the midpoint of the shank.

10. Tightly wrap the flashabou up to the mid point of the hook and tie off. Trim off the tag end of the flashabou. 

11. Pull your underbody foam forward and secure with two tight wraps at the mid point of hook. 

12. Put a tiny drop of Foam Zap on the top of the underbody. You can also use Sally’s.

13. Then pull the overbody forward and secure with two more tight thread wraps.. 

14. Advance the thread to just behind the eye. An eye length behind the eye is good.

15. Apply a few tight thread wraps securing the foam strips behind the eye.. 

16. Then apply more thread wraps to compress the thorax region of the foam.

17. Tie in poly yarn wing on top of the thorax region

18. Tie in hackle at the base of the thorax region. 

19. Attach two sets of legs to the top of the thorax region with a thread wrap and position each set so that they lie along the side. Apply additional thread wraps to secure the legs along the side of the thorax.  Densely wrap your hackle forward and tie off. 

20. Carefully pull the foam head and wing out of the way and tie off your thread at the eye of the hook. I’m using a piece of leadfree wire to hold the material back for the photo. Another way is to readjust the hook in the vise so that the eye is upwards and the material drops behind it. Whip Finish and apply Head cement.

21. Finished Hippie Stomper

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	Tiemco 3761 size 6-18
Thread	Veevus 10/0 Black
Underbody	Black Holographic Flashabou
Body and Head	2 layers of 1.5mm foam, black on top, same color as underbody underneath
Tail	Moose Body Hair
Wing	McFlylon, Dun or White
Legs	Grizzly Barred Rubberlegs
Hackle	Grizzly Hackle

Andrew Grillos

Hippie Stomper

This is another foam creation of Andrew Grillos that has become very popular throughout the western states. It tends to be classified as an attractor dry as it really doesn’t imitate any particular insect but does seems to imitate something that the trout is looking for. The pattern is a foam version of the Elk Hair Humpy. With the superb floatability of this pattern, the Hippie Stomper works great as a top fly with a dropper rig.

Guide Humor

The original Hippie Stomper started while Andrew was guiding on the Gunnison Gorge in the 1990’s. Andrew would rent gear from his friend, Chris Mortimer, and would have combined float trips down the Gunnison River. One day, he overheard Chris explain “Catch & Release” to one of his clients, ‘Ah, well, I just drag my fish up into the sand, give ’em the old hippie stomp (stomps ground), yank the hook out and kick ’em back in the water’ (makes an exaggerated kicking motion, sending sand into the river).

Chris’s clients were often beginners from California and this explanation would leave them wide-eyed with mouths agape. Chris would have to follow up with a quick explanation that he was joking and would proceed to tell his clients as to how to really handle “Catch & Release”, leaving Andrew rolling in the sand laughing at the episode.

Top Pattern

The Hippie Stomper went through some years of fine tuning in 2008-2009, while Andrew was guiding in Chile, until it was sold through Idlywilde Flies and later, Umpqua. Today, the Hippie Stomper is Grillos’ top pattern with Umpqua as he serves as one of their signature fly tiers.

Some prefer Holo Humpy

The pattern is also sold through Orvis, however, they insisted on a more politically-correct name so it is sold as the Holo Humpy. Black was the original coloration but other colorations became popular, particularly Chartreuse, Red, and Purple. The Royal version came out in 2016. Usually tied in sizes 12-16 with 1mm foam for both layers. Size 6-10 will have a 2mm foam body and a 1mm underlayer. Size 18 will have a 1mm foam body and a 0.5 mm underlayer.

Purple Hippie Stomper

Hook	Tiemco 3761 size 6-18
Thread	Veevus 10/0 Black
Underbody	Purple Holographic Flashabou
Body and Head	2 layers of 1.5mm foam, black on top, purple color as underbody underneath
Tail	Moose Body Hair
Wing	McFlylon, Dun or White
Legs	Grizzly Barred Rubberlegs
Hackle	Grizzly Hackle

Royal Hippie Stomper

Hook	Tiemco 3761 size 6-18
Thread	Veevus 10/0 Black
Underbody	Red Holographic Flashabou and Peacock Ice Dubbing
Body and Head	2 layers of 1.5mm foam black on top, chartreuse color as underbody underneath
Tail	Moose Body Hair
Wing	McFlylon, Dun or White
Legs	Grizzly Barred Rubberlegs
Hackle	Grizzly Hackle

Red Hippie Stomper

Hook	Tiemco 3761 size 6-18
Thread	Veevus 10/0 Black
Underbody	Red Holographic Flashabou
Body and Head	2 layers of 1.5mm foam, black on top, red color as underbody underneath”]
Tail	Moose Body Hair
Wing	McFlylon, Dun or White
Legs	Grizzly Barred Rubberlegs
Hackle	Grizzly Hackle

Chartreuse Hippie Stomper

Hook	Tiemco 3761 size 6-18
Thread	Veevus 10/0 Black
Underbody	Chartreuse Holographic Flashabou
Body and Head	2 layers of 1.5mm foam, black on top, chartreuse color as underbody underneath”]
Tail	Moose Body Hair
Wing	McFlylon, Dun or White
Legs	Grizzly Barred Rubberlegs
Hackle	Grizzly Hackle