The pattern notebook · dry
Humpy
How do you tie a Humpy?
Humpy is a dry fly pattern for Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Cutthroat Trout. Find its 8 materials and 12 tying steps below.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5
- Target species
- Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Cutthroat Trout
- Pattern designer
- Jack Dennis
Added to catalog · Updated
At the vise
Materials
- Dry Fly Hook, TMC 100, sizes 10-18
- Thread (6/0), Yellow or Red
- Tail: Natural Elk Hair or Deer Hair
- Overbody/Shellback: Natural Elk Hair or Deer Hair (same bunch as tail)
- Underbody: Tying Thread (Yellow or Red)
- Wing: Natural Elk Hair Tips
- Hackle: Brown and Grizzly Dry Fly Hackle
- Head Cement
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Tying instructions
Secure the hook in the vise. Start thread behind the eye and wrap to the bend.
Select a bunch of elk hair, clean out underfur, and stack the tips even.
Measure the hair so the tips extend one shank-length beyond the bend for the tail.
Tie in the elk hair at the bend with the tips extending rearward as the tail. Do not trim the butts — they will form the shellback.
Pull the butt ends of the elk hair rearward out of the way temporarily.
Wrap the thread forward and back over the shank to build a smooth, slightly humped underbody of thread.
Pull the elk hair butts forward over the top of the underbody to form the shellback. Tie down at the 2/3 point.
Divide the remaining elk hair tips into two equal bunches for the split wing. Separate with figure-eight wraps.
Trim any remaining butt ends and secure with thread.
Tie in a brown and a grizzly hackle feather at the wing base.
Wrap both hackles 2-3 turns behind and 2-3 turns in front of the wings. Tie off and trim.
Build a small thread head. Whip finish and apply head cement.