When in Doubt, Tie On a Griffith’s Gnat.
You see fish rising steadily, but there’s nothing obvious on the water. This is the exact situation George Griffith built this pattern for back in the 1930s. It imitates a midge cluster, a ball of tiny insects mating on the surface, rather than any single bug. For a trout, picking off one midge at a time barely makes sense calorically. A cluster is worth the effort. That’s a big part of why this fly has stayed in nearly every trout angler’s box for close to a century.
Built to Stay Visible and Float Right
The standard version of this fly is genuinely hard to track on the water, just a small dark clump on the surface. This version adds a fluorescent orange thread head, which gives you a clear point to watch even in glare or broken current. The body is tied with natural peacock herl, which picks up light and shimmers a bit underwater, and the grizzly hackle is wrapped tight and even, which is what gives the fly its dense, buggy silhouette and keeps it riding high.
We tested how the fly sits in still water to check the float and profile. Dry, the hackle spreads out fully. On the water, it sits flush with a high-floating footprint, and even when it gets pulled slightly under, the hackle holds its shape rather than collapsing into a wet clump.
Choosing a Size
| Size | Best For |
|---|---|
| #12-14 | A larger cluster profile for choppy water or riffles |
| #16-18 | The standard size for most winter and spring midge hatches |
| #20 | A single adult midge, for flat pools and spooky fish |
How to Fish It
Dead drift it on a long, fine leader on flat or slow-moving water, the same kind of water where you’d fish a CDC Midge Adult. It also works well as a visible top fly in a dry-dropper rig, with a small midge pupa like a Zebra Midge hanging 12 to 18 inches below on 6X tippet. Watch the orange head closely. On slow water, takes can be subtle, just a slight dip or a pause in the drift.
Common Questions
Does this fly need floatant? A small amount on the hackle helps it float a touch higher, but it’s not strictly necessary. Avoid getting floatant on the peacock herl body, since that can dull the natural shimmer.
What’s the difference between the sizes? The larger sizes (#12-14) read as a bigger cluster of midges bunched together. The smaller sizes (#18-20) work better when fish are keyed on a single midge rather than a group. Carrying a few sizes lets you adjust as you see what’s actually happening on the water.
Can I use this for anything besides trout? Yes. Grayling and bluegill will both take it, especially in the smaller sizes during a midge hatch.
Will the hackle hold its shape after getting wet? Reasonably well. The tight, even wrap helps it spring back into shape after a fish or a dunk, rather than staying matted down.
Specs
| Size | Shank | Gape |
|---|---|---|
| #12 | 15mm | 5.8mm |
| #14 | 13mm | 4.7mm |
| #16 | 11mm | 3.8mm |
| #18 | 9mm | 3.3mm |
| #20 | 8.3mm | 3.2mm |
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Hook | High-carbon steel, down-eye, chemically sharpened, barbed |
| Body | Natural peacock herl |
| Hackle | Genetic grizzly rooster saddle |
| Hot Spot | Fluorescent orange thread head |
| Recommended Tippet | 6X nylon or fluorocarbon |
| Target Species | Rainbow, Brown, Brook Trout, Grayling, Bluegill |
| Best Water | Flat pools, slow tailwaters, spring creeks, stillwaters |
Midge cluster fishing is its own skill set and having a fly that actually looks right matters. The peacock herl on these has good sheen, the palmered hackle isn’t too dense — fish can still see the body underneath. Deadly on flat water when fish are sipping.