Humpy Conundrum

[Markbob 0]

I am feeling a humpy session coming on at the vice and I am trying to decide if I want to go with the traditional hair humpies or if I should run with a synthetic wing and a foam back.

 

Does anyone have experience fishing both? Does one float better than the other, last longer?

 

I have all of the materials for both, I think the traditional ones will take me longer to tie and take me longer to tie consistently but I have a real soft spot for tying the patterns with the traditional materials.

On the other hand, I expect that I can churn out the synthetic version at a rate of probably two to one...but, I am not on any time line as I don't live anywhere near any trout water and I do not have plans of being near any any time soon. I guess I could use a humpy on bream once they come shallow...

[Gene L 0]

I'm relatively sure you can turn out the foam humpies faster than the traditional ones, but hey...

 

Hans Weillenman has a video on how to tie them proportionally. It answered my questions and made tying a LOT easier using all natural materials.

[JasonJones 0]

Personally I like them with hair, and have only fished foam back humpies a few times but I didn't notice much different in ride height etc. The foam was a little more durable and lasted a few extra fish for sure.

I might fish more foam this year as I went through a lot of them last year getting destroyed by agressive fish. And I know people say put blah product on the back hair to make them last longer, but honestly I haven't found anything that makes hair humpies last any longer once sharp teeth slice through the back.

 

So my advice, if you're just looking to get the boxes filled, go with foam if you can tie 2:1.

[cheech 0]

This is what happened one summer when I was on a quest for a synthetic Humpy.

 

 

[utyer 0]

I have fished the Humpy since the mid 60s. I have always tied mine with a pulled over hair back, and the tips became the hair wing. While I agree that a synthetic wing, and a foam back will make better floating fly, and might be quicker to tie, it won't be the same fly (at least to me.)

[Bryon Anderson 0]

I had a soft spot for tying them with the natural materials, too, until I did a few with a foam "hump" and Hi-Vis wings. SO much easier, way more durable, and I don't hesitate to throw them into thick cover for fear of losing a fly that took me 3 attempts over 30 minutes to tie correctly.

[Will K 0]

Whoa there man... you have materials for both. The answer here is simple... make some of both! Personally if fishing for brookies on small streams I love traditional style yellow hair wing Humpies. But larger rivers... foam hair not sure i feel an allegiance to one or the other.

[sniperfreak223 0]

I mostly tie mine with hair, but that's mostly because I really don't like the way the foam ones look. But I can't speak much of durability, as I rarely fish them anymore, having grown much more fond of Wulff-style flies.

[jburge 0]

I've tied 'em both, and fished 'em both. The fish ate 'em all, so I can't say one fished better than the other. I personally like the look of the hair.