Fly of The Month 03.19
In the archives, books refer to very tiny aquatic flying insects as Smut or Gnat. Our modern term that we use is typically midge or the scientific name diptera which is broader and includes Chironomid, mosquitos, black flies and crane flies. However, we still call them gnats when they fly around our face seeking the liquid tears in our eyeballs. The wingless, standard midge dry flies may well be included here but they are not included because they are rarely referred to as an imitation of a gnat.
Gnat Dry Fly and Wet Fly Group
The Black Gnat fly pattern tied with a black ostrich herl body and an orange tip is presented as part of his wet fly collection in Bergman’s book entitled Trout, published as the fourth edition in 1940. A modern standard dry fly version is basically the same color combination except with stiff dry fly hackle and upright and divided wings. The Leisenring Black Gnat is fundamentally a soft hackle version with a dubbed black body and gold wire ribbing.
The Griffith Gnat is a palmered dry fly pattern that is intended to be an imitation of a midge cluster, originally tied with a peacock herl body and a grizzly hackle, palmered over the body. One of the best variation is the Hi-Vis Griffith Gant with the addition of a highly visible, bright fluorescent colored tuft above the head of the fly. There are a multitude of color variations being tied and marketed today. These include various dyed-peacock herl bodies of tan, dark tan, purple, gray, insect green, gold, BWO and black as well as various dyed grizzly hackle such as olive, yellow, red and purple. An endless combination of colors to imitate any cluster midges.
The Prime Gnat fly with black body, wing, hackle and tail, and a red butt, was the creation of William Cowper Prime, 1825-1905, author of I Go A Fishing published in 1873. A graduate of Princeton, 1843, he engaged in the practice of law in New York from 1846 to 1861. He was editor of the Journal of Commerce from 1861 to 1869. He served as vice president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art after 1874. In 1884 he was professor of history and art at Princeton. It was Prime who said, “The angler, I think, dreams of his favorite sport oftener than other men of theirs.”
The Prime Gnat wet fly can also be found in Bergman’s Trout on Plate No. 7, page 169. Harold Smedley also seems to offer a second version: “The Prime Gnat has a peacock body; gold tip; and dark slate wings.”
Whether imitating a cluster, which is a sneaky way to use a larger, more visible fly with more hooking power, or imitating a larger gnat sized aquatic insect, these simple to tie fly patterns catch trout.
The Gnat Dry Fly and Wet Fly Group:
Black Gnat, Leisenring’s Black Gnat
Griffith Gnat, Hi-Vis Griffith Gnat, Griffith Gnat variations
Prime Gnat
Fly of the Month 03.19
Tom Adams and Alen Baker
References:
Smedley, Harold Hinsdill. Fly Patterns and Their Origins, 1944
Gnat Wet Fly Recipe
Hook : Wet fly size 8,10,12,14
Thread : Uni 8/0 claret
Abdomen : Turkey tail with gold UTC fine
Hackle : Starling
Directions :
In the archives, books refer to very tiny aquatic flying insects as Smut or Gnat. Our modern term that we use is typically midge or the scientific name diptera which is broader and includes Chironomid, mosquitos, black flies and crane flies. However, we still call them gnats when they fly around our face seeking the liquid tears in our eyeballs. The wingless, standard midge dry flies may well be included here but they are not included because they are rarely referred to as an imitation of a gnat.
Gnat Dry Fly and Wet Fly Group
The Black Gnat fly pattern tied with a black ostrich herl body and an orange tip is presented as part of his wet fly collection in Bergman’s book entitled Trout, published as the fourth edition in 1940. A modern standard dry fly version is basically the same color combination except with stiff dry fly hackle and upright and divided wings. The Leisenring Black Gnat is fundamentally a soft hackle version with a dubbed black body and gold wire ribbing.
The Griffith Gnat is a palmered dry fly pattern that is intended to be an imitation of a midge cluster, originally tied with a peacock herl body and a grizzly hackle, palmered over the body. One of the best variation is the Hi-Vis Griffith Gant with the addition of a highly visible, bright fluorescent colored tuft above the head of the fly. There are a multitude of color variations being tied and marketed today. These include various dyed-peacock herl bodies of tan, dark tan, purple, gray, insect green, gold, BWO and black as well as various dyed grizzly hackle such as olive, yellow, red and purple. An endless combination of colors to imitate any cluster midges.
The Prime Gnat fly with black body, wing, hackle and tail, and a red butt, was the creation of William Cowper Prime, 1825-1905, author of I Go A Fishing published in 1873. A graduate of Princeton, 1843, he engaged in the practice of law in New York from 1846 to 1861. He was editor of the Journal of Commerce from 1861 to 1869. He served as vice president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art after 1874. In 1884 he was professor of history and art at Princeton. It was Prime who said, “The angler, I think, dreams of his favorite sport oftener than other men of theirs.”
The Prime Gnat wet fly can also be found in Bergman’s Trout on Plate No. 7, page 169. Harold Smedley also seems to offer a second version: “The Prime Gnat has a peacock body; gold tip; and dark slate wings.”
Whether imitating a cluster, which is a sneaky way to use a larger, more visible fly with more hooking power, or imitating a larger gnat sized aquatic insect, these simple to tie fly patterns catch trout.
The Gnat Dry Fly and Wet Fly Group:
Black Gnat, Leisenring’s Black Gnat
Griffith Gnat, Hi-Vis Griffith Gnat, Griffith Gnat variations
Prime Gnat
Fly of the Month 03.19
Tom Adams and Alen Baker
References:
Smedley, Harold Hinsdill. Fly Patterns and Their Origins, 1944
Gnat Wet Fly Recipe
Hook : Wet fly size 8,10,12,14
Thread : Uni 8/0 claret
Abdomen : Turkey tail with gold UTC fine
Hackle : Starling
Directions :
- Mount the hook in the vise after debarbing
- Start thread wraps at the hook eye stopping three eye lengths from the eye. Let the bobbin hang.
- Select three inch fine gold UTC wire and tie in on top of the hook shank. Make open turn of thread to bind in the wire, keeping it in position of top of the hook shank to the hook bend. Let the bobbin hang.
- Select two turkey tail barbs and remove from the stem. Tie in by the tips but allow a quarter inch or so for the tie in. The tip itself is too fragile. Advance the thread to the three eye lengths from the eye and let the bobbin hang.
- Begin making tight and touching turns with the turkey, advancing to the thread. Tie in with three wraps and trim any excess turkey and let the bobbin hang.
- Wrap the wire forward in open turns to form ribbing. Five to seven turns. Secure with thread wraps and trim away waste. Let the bobbin hang.
- Select a starling feather with the appropriate length of barbs. Should be about the same or slightly shorter than the length of the hook shank. Strip away any fuzzy or overly webby portions. Hold the feather by the tip and stroke back as many of the barbs as practical. Cut the tip into a small triangle and tie in by the triangle immediately in front of the turkey. Let the bobbin hang.
- Using hackle pliers, take the stem end of the feather and begin wraps around the hook shank to make one and one half to two turns. Secure the hackle with two or three thread wraps. Trim the waste and form a small thread head. Whip finish.