Sub-Total: $0.00
Humpy
Yellow Humpy
Tying Instructions
1. Lay a thread foundation , ending at the bend of the hook.
2. Clip a bundle of Moose Body Hairs and even the tips in a stacker. Attach the fibers at the bend of the hook. The tail has to be exactly the length of the hook shank measured from behind the eye to the start of the bend. On attaching the tail fibers, start with loose wraps and get higher tension on the thread up to the midpoint of the shank. Trim the butts and tightly secure with thread wraps.
3. Clip a bundle of Deer Hair and even the tips in a stacker. The Deer Hair needs to be exactly from the end of the shank, behind the eye, to the end of the tailing fibers. Trim the Deer Hair butts where the hair lines up at the shank end mark. Bring the trimmed butts up to the midpoint of the shank and secure with tight thread wraps. Wrap the entire bundle with thread up to the bend of the hook and bring the thread back to the midpoint.
4. With your fingernail bring the deer hair fibers forward over the body area. Holding the tips of the fibers with your right hand, bring the thread over the midpoint and secure with some tight wraps. Control the fibers by lifting and pulling your right hand so that they remain on top of the shank and not around it.
5. Lift the tips of the Deer Hair and lay 5-6 wraps of thread in front of it.
6. Divide the tips in half and lay a thread wrap between them. Apply 3-4 X-wraps to help maintain separation. Taking one of the divided wings, wrap a post with 5 wraps of thread and then do the other one. Apply some more wraps in front of the tips to get them to stand vertically.
7. Attach the hackles by the butts between the divided wings and secure with thread wraps both behind and in front of the wings.
8. Wrap one of the hackles forward with 3 wraps behind the wing and 3 wraps in front of the wing. Secure just behind the eye.
9. Wrap the second hackle the same number of turns as the first. Secure and trim the butt of the hackle. Wrap a small head and whip finish.
| Materials
to Order Material, click the link |
|
|---|---|
| Hook | TMC 100 #10-16 |
| Thread | Danville Yellow 6/0 |
| Body | Danville Yellow 6/0 |
| Shellback | Deer Hair |
| Tail | Moose Body Hair |
| Wing | Deer Hair, divided |
| Hackle | Grizzly and Brown, mixed |
Humpy
Many fly historians believe the Humpy originated during the early 1940’s by California Fly Tyer, Jack Horner, in the Hat Creek area of the Northern Sierra. It was known as Horner’s Deer Hair Fly. The fly utilized very buoyant deer hair which could handle the fast water situations of the Truckee River. Jack fished the Truckee often with this fly and a bend in the river above Hirshdale is known as “Horner’s Corner”.
Early Beginnings
A similar fly at the time was the Canadian fly, Tom Thumb, which did not utilize a hackle or split the wing. The pattern made it’s way to the Rocky Mountain region and a Yellowstone Guide, Pat Barnes, popularized this pattern by referring to it as the Goofus Bug in 1943 for the “goofy looking” fly that his customer’s requested. For a period of time, the fly was referred to as the Goofus Bug in Montana or the Horner Deer Hair Fly in California.
At some point within the late 1940’s, the term “Humpy” was attached to the fly within the regions of Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the name stuck. It is probably one of the most successful attractor flies created. Boots Allen, the owner of a small fly shop in Jackson Hole, is thought to have come up with the name. Due to the hollow hair, the large profile, and the way the hair is utilized, the Humpy has great floatability and can be used in most western streams. Many variations have evolved from this fly.
Many Variations
The most popular is the Yellow Humpy. Tied in sizes 14-16, the Yellow Humpy can be used to imitate Little Yellow Sallies and small Golden Stoneflies. The basic body colors can be changed to red, green, or tan using Floss for the body material. Jack Dennis changed the body of Deer Hair to Elk Hair in the 1960’s and added a Black Elk Hair tail to call the pattern an Elk Hair Humpy and the Humpy is often tied with Elk Hair today. The Royal Humpy was a variation by Charlie Ridenour of Jackson Hole, Wyoming in the 1970’s. It brings the visibility characteristics of the Royal Wulff and combines the Humpy’s very buggy appearance.
A few more variations
The Adams Humpy is used for certain gray mayfly hatches as well as an excellent attractor pattern. The Black Humpy was a variation developed by Ramona Bressler in Jackson Hole, WY in the 1960’s and is particularly good during overcast conditions as a beetle imitation. The most recent variation is the Double Humpy which was actually a mistake at the vise by Joe Allen, the son of Boots Allen, in 1981 but ended up working so well on the stream that it became another pattern.
Tying Hints
Some consider the Humpy to be difficult to tie due to the proportions required. However, Al Beatty has a few hints to simplify the process. According to Al, “To get a properly, proportioned overbody and wings, the clump of hair must be equal to twice the length of the hook shank. Since the tail length is equal to the hook shank, the wing clump should align with the tip of the tail and clip the hair even with the eye of the hook. The wing hair should now be equal to twice the length of the shank.”
Place the butt ends of the wing clump at the middle of the shank and tie in with tight wraps. “As you wrap back to the bend, use snug wraps but not tight, holding wraps. You need to wrap over this area several times to form the body.” “Advance the thread to the one-third point on the shank, pull the hair over the top of the body and tie off the hair at this point to form the wings and the overbody.” Press forward the hair fibers from the bend rather than pulling the ends of the hair to get a tight overbody.
Variations
Tom Thumb
| Hook | TMC 100 #8-14 |
| Thread | Danville Black 3/0 Monocord |
| Body | Danville Black 3/0 MonocordoverDeer Hair |
| Shellback | Deer Hair |
| Tail | Deer Hair |
| Wing | Deer Hair |
Horner Deer Hair Fly
| Hook | TMC 100 #8-14 |
| Thread | Danville Black 3/0 Monocord |
| Body | Danville Black 3/0 MonocordoverDeer Hair |
| Shellback | Deer Hair |
| Tail | Deer Hair |
| Wing | Deer Hair, Divided |
| Hackle | Grizzly Saddle Hackle |
Goofus Bug
| Hook | TMC 100 #4-14 |
| Thread | Danville Yellow 6/0 |
| Body | Danville Yellow 6/0 |
| Shellback | Deer Hair |
| Tail | Deer Hair |
| Wing | Deer Hair, Divided |
| Hackle | Blue Dun |
Royal Humpy
| Hook | TMC 100 #10-16 |
| Thread | Danville Red 6/0 |
| Body | Danville Red 6/0 |
| Shellback | Moose Body Hair |
| Tail | Moose Body Hair |
| Wing | White Calf tail |
| Hackle | Brown Hackle |
Adams Humpy
| Hook | TMC 100 #10-16 |
| Thread | Danville Gray 6/0 |
| Body | Gray Floss |
| Shellback | Deer Body Hair |
| Tail | Moose Body Hair |
| Wing | Deer Body Hair |
| Hackle | Brown & Grizzly Hackle |
Black Humpy
| Hook | TMC 100 #10-16 |
| Thread | Danville Black 6/0 |
| Body | Danville Black 6/0 |
| Shellback | Moose Body Hair |
| Tail | Moose Body Hair |
| Wing | Moose Body Hair |
| Hackle | Black Hackle |
Double Humpy
| Hook | TMC 2312 #6-10 |
| Thread | Danville Red Flat Waxed Nylon |
| Body | Danville Red Flat Waxed Nylon |
| Shellback | Mule Deer Hair |
| Tail | Mule Deer Hair |
| Wing | Mule Deer Hair |
| Hackle | Grizzly Hackle |