The Parachute Griffith's Gnat

     It's my belief that anglers fish flies that are way too big. Whether their fishing nymphs or dries, most anglers would have more success if they downsized their patterns. I've gotten in the habit of collecting naturals from the streams I fish and am surprised every time I do just how small they can be, and in some cases how much smaller they are compared to the patterns I would choose to imitate them. A common reason anglers choose bigger flies over tiny one's is that they are easier to see which is especially true with small dry flies. But unfortunately when a picky trout wants a small insect they could care less how bad your eyes are! They don't care if you can see a small fly or not, they can! 

     If I had to pick one small dry fly an angler could use to build confidence in fishing small flies it would be a Griffith's Gnat. Just like a Stimulator does a great job of imitating many larger insects the Griffith's Gnat is a great fly to imitate the smaller one's. With that being said if I had to pick one small fly that was nearly impossible to see on the water it would also be a Griffith's Gnat. Despite it's usually diminutive size which doesn't help matters, a standard Griffith's Gnat sits so low in the surface film it practically disappears. This is both a blessing and a curse to the angler as it's low stance in the water is one reason I think it's so effective.  It was with this problem in mind that I sat at my vise one night after a day of fishing, or rather trying to fish, standard palmered hackle Griffith's Gnats to a pod  of "Smutting" Trout. 

     I usually end a days fishing at the vise tying more of a pattern that worked or tweaking one that did not and that night it was the Griffith's Gnat that needed some tweaking. After a few failed attempts I settled on the pattern below. By turning the fly into a parachute pattern I had a Griffith's Gnat that would still sit low in the surface film like the original but remain highly visible even in the smallest of sizes. I also replaced the peacock herl body of the original with more durable and flashy synthetic peacock dubbing that adds added life and attraction.    

     Unfortunately I didn't invent the Parachute Griffith's Gnat but that night at the vise you would have thought I did! I personally love small flies but yet another reason that others do not is they hate tying them! Not only is a Griffith's Gnat a good entree into fishing small flies but also a good entree to tying them. After all, the only difference between a big fly and a small fly is their size. As far as I'm concerned if you can tie 'em big you can tie 'em small and with a Parachute Griffith's Gnat you can fish 'em small too!

-Parachute Griffith's Gnat-

Hook: Daiichi 1110 sz. 20-26

Thread: Black Veevus 16/0 

Body: Blend of Peacock Ice Dubbing and Peacock Wapsi Nymph Life Cycle Dubbing

Post: Flourescent Orange Poly-Yarn

Hackle: Grizzly Whiting