By Tom Nokes
This fly is a long ways away from the original Humpy patterns, but the modifications have resulted in an easier fly to tie, and a more durable pattern.
I first saw this fly tied with the poly wings by Julie Hoopes Thompson (Flyfishers Den) and with a foam back by Emmett Heath (Western Rivers). I naturally supposed that the two variations would work well together, and they do. The foam back makes the fly almost indestructible and the poly wing makes it simple to tie. This combination floats very well.
Fish this pattern anywhere that you would normally use a humpy. Recently, some friends and I used this pattern in sizes 14 to 18 while fishing on a very small stream and we did well. The small browns seemed to like it as much as they liked an elk hair caddis. The only variation that they didn't accept was one with white wings.
The poly-wing material may be found at several of the local sporting goods stores, including Sports Warehouse, Flyfishers Den and Smith & Edwards. It is not the polypropylene found wrapped on cards. The foam is available at the same locations, as a Larvae Lace product.
Hook: Mustad AC94840
Size: 12 to 20
Tail: Moose body
Body: Floss color of choice – red, yellow, black, green. Gray foam over the top. NOTE: On the smaller size patterns you will want to select a tying thread to match the body color you want. Then simply wrap over the foam completely to form the body.
Wing: Poly wing material – tan, gray, rust or white.
Hackle: Coachman brown
STEP 1: Tie in a moose tail equal to the length of the hook. Then move your tying thread forward to the center of the hook and tie in the poly wing. This material should be folded on the larger sizes to give a full dressed wing. On the smaller flies, a single strand will do. The wings should be proportioned the same as if you were tying with hair. Leave the wings long, divide and tie posts around each wing. Do not trim the wings until you have tied in the hackle.
STEP 2: Move your tying thread back to the bend of the hook. Tie in a flat piece of foam approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch across, and several inches long. Then tie in your choice of floss and build a round body to the center of the hook. Tie this off and trim, then pull the foam down over the body tight and tie off. You may even stretch the foam a bit, but be careful not to pull it so tight as to close the cells in the foam.
STEP 3: Tie in several brown hackles and wrap forward on both sides of the wing. You will want a very bushy looking hackle. After you have tied down the hackle and finished the head, pull the wings straight up and trim them to be slightly longer than the hackle barbs.
