the most versatile dry ever? Griffiths Gnat
Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 4:12 pm
This fly is close to my heart as I have not caught more fish on any other dry fly. I tie in sizes 14 to 18. My last trout on it was good a 2,2kg (4,85pounds) angry wild brown trout. It slammed the fly hard and just took off with it. I also caught very good grayling on this fly.
I always twisted the peacock hearl around the thread but in a lazy, sleepy moment I twisted the hackle also around the thread. To my great amusement and astonishment this worked even better. Later when I had access to more English literature and also the Oliver Edwards videos I found out that this was actually the traditional method of tying it. However, many seem to have forgotten how to actually tie this fly. The benefit of twisting it all together is that the hackle is pointing a tiny bit forwards and more "springy". Combined with Dyneema thread this "thing" is close to indestructible.
It is also the first fly I teach people. Last a 72 year old client from Wales who's fishing with flies for long, but never got around tying his own. He managed a GG and caught big fish on it. All of a sudden he was 12 again.
I always twisted the peacock hearl around the thread but in a lazy, sleepy moment I twisted the hackle also around the thread. To my great amusement and astonishment this worked even better. Later when I had access to more English literature and also the Oliver Edwards videos I found out that this was actually the traditional method of tying it. However, many seem to have forgotten how to actually tie this fly. The benefit of twisting it all together is that the hackle is pointing a tiny bit forwards and more "springy". Combined with Dyneema thread this "thing" is close to indestructible.
It is also the first fly I teach people. Last a 72 year old client from Wales who's fishing with flies for long, but never got around tying his own. He managed a GG and caught big fish on it. All of a sudden he was 12 again.
