The Humpy, to some a classic, to others an anathema because they struggle to tie it!
It is not as difficult to tie as is imagined though, provided you follow simple rules on proportion.
The variations of the Humpy are legion, the pattern I have used is pretty much standard.
A note on proportion, the wings, tail and body should all be of equal length.

HOOK – Kamasan B170 #10
THREAD - Yellow Power Silk
TAIL - Moose Body
BODY - Yellow Floss
BACK & WING – Yearling Elk
HACKLES - Red Game and Grizzle Cock

STEP 1
Mount the hook in the vice, attach the thread and wrap to the hook bend then back to a point roughly in the middle of the hook shank.




STEP 2
Select a clump of Moose, remove the under fur and align the tips in a stacker. As a guideline if you twist the clump half a turn to compress the fibres the twisted part should roughly equal the size of the hook eye. Once you have done that offer the Moose up to the hook shank to determine length. The tail should be roughly the same length as the hook shank(from the eye to where the bend starts)



Now with your left hand grip the fibres at the butt end where they reach the eye, then keeping hold of the fibres in your left hand reposition at the end of the hook.



That has now given you a tail of the correct length to tie down at the shank mid point.



Cover the roots before continuing to the next step.



STEP 3
Select a clump of yearling Elk, remove the under fur and align the tips in a stacker. To determine the amount of hair needed follow the instructions for the tail, but this time you want a clump roughly twice the thickness of the hook eye, remember it’s a split wing.
One you have done that offer the hair up to determine length, for the Humpy because we are forming the back and the wings from one clump we need it to be twice the length of the hook shank. (1 ½ times the length plus ½ the length for tying in.) To get the length align the tips of the wing with the tips of the tail.



Then transfer the grip to your left hand, then all you have to do is cut the butts at the eye to leave the correct length of winging material.



STEP 4
Stick a piece of tape or similar on top of the tail fibres. This will make it easier when you come to fold the fibres over for the back and wing.



STEP 5
Tie the wing/back in at the mid point and wrap down to the tail and back several times to secure the wing and cover the butts. You should note that by cutting the wing to twice length of the shank and tying it in at the mid point you have no waste fibres to trim off and you are now left with the wing/back 1 ½ times the hook shank, ½x’s to fold over to the mid point and 1x’s to form the wing.
Make sure the thread wraps for the wing and tail finish at the same point.



STEP 6
Tie in a the yellow floss for the body. If you wish you can omit this part and instead form the body with the tying thread, personally I prefer the floss.



STEP 7
Wrap the floss to the tail and back to the mid point and tie off.



STEP 8
Fold the Elk over the hump and using your thumb press against the back of the hump to help it slide up and over the hump, you want the back fibres to be tight.



Then tie down leaving a single clump of wing.

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STEP 9
Lift the clump up and using figure of eight wraps, divide it into two wings of equal size. Then take a few wraps up each post and back down, the same as you do with a parachute post.



STEP 10
Tie in one red game and one grizzle hackle on top of the shank with the dull side up. I take the hackle butt between the wings before tying off and trimming waste.



STEP 11
Wrap one hackle towards the eye in close touching turns, for this fly I have used three turns before the wing and five turns after. Tie down and trim off waste.



STEP 12
Follow with the second hackle, same number of wraps.



STEP 13
Form a small head and whip finish for the completed fly.





Generally the Humpy is tied in the larger sizes, but if you wish you can tie it a small as you like.
The smallest I have tied is a #20

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WOW - top class

outstanding. i love how you use different deer hair for the wing so its easier to separate it from the tail.

Great wee fly. alanb ties a nice foam version too.

Thank you both.
I've seen Alan's foam version, very nice it is too. There is also a version tied using yarn for the back and wing.

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ukflydressing A UK based fly tying site packed full of flyting tips and photographic step by steps. Now with added fly fishing section.

Scotfly,

Sorry to nit-pick (and I may have the wrong hook in mind). Why have you chosen a 1X-long nymph hook, as opposed to a 1X-long dry fly hook? Trivial perhaps; but in swift moving water, why detract from the hackle?

In flat-moving water, the Halfback Emerger (Mike Lawson) was born onstream when a Humpy's hackle & wings were chopped off. Here the lighter hook may be significant.

Kev,

My turn to nit-pick (on every flea there lives a smaller flee, and on that smaller flea...):

If I look at the image you posted, and I look at the recipe beside it, are we talking the same fly? (Yes, I apprciate it is not your fly, your photograph, or even your recipe, but you chose to post it )

Recipe listed does not mention shellback, only 'abdomen' being pheasant tail fibers.

If I interpret the image correctly, then the abdomen is dubbed (no PT fibers), and the shellback a synthetic yarn, likely Z-lon (no PT-fibers). What gives?

Cheers,
Hans W

Cheers,
Hans W

Kev, The Kamasan B170 is the equivalent of the TMC100. I think you are thinking of the Kamasan B175 or perhaps the B200, although the the B200 is a 2x long nymph hook.

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Scotfly,

Thanks for pointing that out. I always thought the B401 was the equivalent of the TMC 100. Have to check the hook book. I suppose the Humpy's proportions are just as important to its floatability.

I think the B401 is a similar hook to the B170. So either would be a good choice.
The main reason I am using Kamasan hooks is I have 1000's of them left from when I tied commercialy. I don't buy them anymore. Their quality now is very poor, the metal is too soft. I much prefer TMC hooks now.

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