Yellow Humpy
Imitates: Attractor — caddis/stonefly/terrestrial silhouette
Quick Reference
- Best Sizes
- #10-16
- Best Season
- Summer
- Best Conditions
- Western pocket water, fast riffles, mountain streams, high-altitude lakes
- Water Temp
- 55-70°F
- Recommended Tippet
- 4X-5X
How to Rig It
Single dry, or the high-floating attractor in a dry-dropper rig.
How to Present It
Dead-drift through pocket water and fast riffles. The deer-hair shellback makes it unsinkable in chop.
Why It Works
The hollow deer-hair shellback traps air and makes the Humpy the most buoyant traditional dry fly. It rides high in the roughest water where lower-floating flies disappear.
History
Originating in Wyoming in the 1940s (nicknamed 'Goofus Bug'), the Humpy became the go-to pocket-water dry for Western anglers from Yellowstone to the High Sierra.
Pro Tip
Tie a few Royal Humpies too (red band instead of yellow body) for stained water and overcast days when fish want a brighter target.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color Humpy is best?+
Yellow for general use, royal (red band) for stained water, and black for evening light. All three should live in any Western dry-fly box.
Not sure if Yellow Humpy is right today?
Get a fly recommendation based on live water temp, flow, sky, and time of day for any river in the US.
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