Manuka Humpy

Fly: Doug Jeffries, Photograph: Hans Weilenmann

Hook: TMC 100, standard dry fly hook, sizes 12 or 10
Thread: Olive, 6/0
Tail: Natural elk
Body: Highlander green floss
Shellback: Natural elk, (I size this elk hair, tie it in by the butts, pull it over, and then use the tips for the wings)
Wing: Natural elk
Hackle: Brown and grizzly mixed, tied very full

Matagouri bushes border many of the valley streams in New Zealand.

The matagouri bush is a hearty bush that comes complete with thorns. They can viscously grab and hold onto an errant back cast as well as leave your legs scratched and bloody. But on a positive note, where there are matagouri bushes there are also manuka beetles. Manuka beetles are bright green in color and when they are moving around the trout will gorge themselves on the them. (The beetle takes its name from the manuka bush on which it also lives. This bush is of a much gentler, i.e. no thorns, variety.)

The "humpy" is simply tied to capture the green color of the manuka beetle.

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© 2002 Hans Weilenmann
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