Griffith's Gnat

By George Griffith, Michigan, late 1930s. Great cluster midge pattern.

Printed on the 5 of hearts

Midges hatch every month of the year, which makes them the most reliably available trout food there is and the reason winter fishing is possible at all. Individually they are almost too small to imitate. But midges mate in clusters on the surface, several insects tangled together into a single drifting mass, and that cluster is a target a trout will move for.

The Griffith's Gnat is that cluster. Peacock herl gives the dark, iridescent mass; the grizzly hackle palmered over it gives the impression of many legs and wings at once without resolving into any single insect. Squint at one on the water and it looks like a small piece of dark chaos, which is exactly right.

It is a fly that rewards patience over distance. Midging fish rise quietly and repeatedly in slow water, often in the same lane, and they are not going far to eat. Find one, watch it for a minute to learn its rhythm, and put the fly where it is going to be.

What does a Griffith's Gnat imitate?

Clusters of mating midges.

How do you fish a Griffith's Gnat?

Fine tippet and a genuinely drag-free drift in slow water. Because the fly is nearly invisible, watch the water where you believe it to be and set on any rise in that area.

When should you fish a Griffith's Gnat?

Winter above all, when midges are the only thing hatching. Also excellent on calm mornings and evenings year-round, and on tailwaters any time.

What are the quick tips for fishing it?

• If you cannot see it, fish it eighteen inches behind a small visible dry as an indicator.
• Grease the leader but not the fly if you want it riding in the film.
• In deep winter, go smaller than feels reasonable — #22 and #24 earn their keep.

How is a Griffith's Gnat tied?

• Hook: standard dry fly, #18-#24
• Thread: black 8/0
• Body: peacock herl
• Hackle: grizzly, palmered the length of the body

Dressings vary by tier and region. Treat this as the common recipe, not the only one.