Fly Tying Inventory
Yellow Humpy
A highly buoyant Western attractor pattern with origins tracing to Jack Horner's 'Goofus Bug' from the 1930s-40s, later popularized and refined by Jack Dennis in the 1960s. The distinctive deer hair shellback creates a pronounced hump that traps air for exceptional flotation. The Yellow Humpy excels in fast, turbulent pocket water and can suggest mayflies, caddis, stoneflies, or terrestrials depending on size and presentation.
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Materials
Standard dry fly hook (TMC 100), sizes 8-18
Yellow or black 6/0 or 3/0
Moose body hair or deer hair
Yellow floss or yellow Antron dubbing
Natural deer hair or elk hair, pulled over to form the hump
Deer hair or elk hair tips, upright and divided
One grizzly and one brown dry fly hackle, wound together
How to Tie the Yellow Humpy
- 1
Step 1
Mount hook and start thread, wrapping a base to the bend.
- 2
Step 2
Tie in moose body hair for the tail, about shank length.
- 3
Step 3
Cut a generous clump of deer hair. Tie in at the tail with tips extending rearward, leaving the butts pointing forward.
This clump will form both the shellback and the wing — use enough hair.
- 4
Step 4
Wrap yellow floss or dub yellow Antron forward to the 2/3 point to form the underbody.
- 5
Step 5
Pull the deer hair forward over the body to create the characteristic hump. Secure with tight thread wraps at the 2/3 point.
Keep even tension when pulling the deer hair over to maintain a symmetrical hump.
- 6
Step 6
Divide the remaining deer hair tips into upright split wings.
- 7
Step 7
Tie in grizzly and brown hackle and wind both forward, making turns behind and in front of the wings.
- 8
Step 8
Build a small thread head, whip finish, and apply head cement.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijj9K33CNBA
Credit: Jack Horner (original Humpy, 1930s-40s), refined by Jack Dennis (1960s)