When beginning to fly fish, one wonders if a big fish might be caught using such small fly…Created by George Griffith, one of the founders of Trout Unlimited, this pattern imitates midges, midge emergers, midge clusters, even tiny mayflies. It is a simple but very effective pattern. The Griffith†View more...When beginning to fly fish, one wonders if a big fish might be caught using such small fly…Created by George Griffith, one of the founders of Trout Unlimited, this pattern imitates midges, midge emergers, midge clusters, even tiny mayflies. It is a simple but very effective pattern. The Griffith’s Gnat is one of those tiny dry flies that experienced anglers never forget to carry in their boxes. It is tied in hook sizes ranging from #16 to #28 and fished using extremely light tippets; this is why a soft tip rod is the best tool you can choose to avoid losing both fish and fly.It is a really easy-to-tie fly, it only takes two materials to do it but the only thing you have to worry about is its size, using a magnifier lamp is recommended when tying this pattern.I remember that a friend of mine, a good fly fisher, told me a story about this fly when he was fishing the Rivadavia river (in Patagonia, Argentina, known for its selective trout). He said he was desperate because of a trout that kept rising but never took the flies he offered. ..until he tied this tiny fly!
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List of materials
MATERIALSHook: dry fly hook (TMC 100 or similar) in sizes #16 to #28.Body: at least one peacock herl fiber.Hackle: grizzly rooster feather (saddle).
Steps
Step 1
Tie the rooster feather by its base. Length should be 1 ½ times the hook gape.
Step 2
At the same place, by its tips, tie one or more peacock herl fiber.Just one long fiber should be enough for tying this fly in every size. Depending on hook size, if the loop technique is applied it is better to use two or more fibers.
Step 3
Wrap the peacock herl to shape the body of the fly.
Step 4
Wrap the rooster feather palmered up until it reaches the hook eye. Tie off and cement.
