Griffith’s Gnat step-by-step by Son Tao

Size 20 Griffith Gnats


The Griffith’s Gnat was George Griffiths favorite fly. George was one of the founders of Trout Unlimited which had its origins in Northern Michigan. He made this fly famous and it is definitely a real fish catcher.

Son Tao ties a terrific looking Griffith’s Gnat. He recently did a step-by-step of how he ties his Griffith’s Gnats, so here it is.

Son says:
“I use Semperfli 18/0 30 Denier thread for flies size 16 and smaller. It’s very small diameter thread that lays flat and is GSP. So it’s about as strong or stronger than 140 denier thread. I just color it before the whip finish. Difficulty is 1/10.”

Materials list:
Hook: Tiemco 100 or any standard dry fly hook in sizes 14-24. This tie is a size 20.
Body: Peacock herl
Hackle: Whiting Grizzly

2 Comments

Filed under Dry Fly, Michigan

2 Responses to Griffith’s Gnat step-by-step by Son Tao

  1. Tim neal

    Nicely done!

  2. George Semel

    Outside of the Adams, the Gnat is my favorite dry fly- I tie and fish them from # 18 down to #28 yeah #28 on Vince Marino midge hook. The reason was on a late afternoon on the Housatonic in CT. The trout were rising but would not take anything I had, so I when back to the car, got out the vise and tied some Gnats in # 28, reworked my leader down to 8x got it turning over the way I wanted it to and then caught 12 more fish before it got so dark I could not see. I have no idea what the trout were taking it for, but it worked and that was not the only time. God that was 30 years ago. Used spider web for a thread. Now we got it so much better.