Dry Flyintermediate

Rocky Mountain West

Griffith's Gnat

Name: Griffith's Gnat
Brand: The Woolly Gentleman

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Available Sizes#16 - #24

Color Variations

Peacock/Grizzly

Pattern Ledger

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Where to source this pattern

TWG checkout is closed. These are current sourcing leads, scored by mapped tier, region, species, fly type, and named-pattern evidence. Confirm availability directly with the tier or shop.

Signature tierStrong match

Rocky Mountain Fly Design

Matched on Rocky Mountain West, dry flies, trout. Colorado tier and shop lead for Rocky Mountain trout, bass, and predator patterns.

Rocky Mountain Westdry fliestrout

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Regional shopStrong match

Taos Fly Shop

Matched on Rocky Mountain West, dry flies, trout. New Mexico/Southwest trout shop lead for Rio Grande, San Juan, Pecos, and high desert water.

Rocky Mountain Westdry fliestrout

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Broad sourceStrong match

Fly Fish Food

Matched on dry flies, trout, midge. Strong technical tying and trout catalog coverage, especially nymphs, dries, and stillwater flies.

dry fliestroutmidge

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Broad sourceStrong match

Orvis Fly Catalog

Matched on dry flies, trout, midge. Broad retail catalog for standard trout, warmwater, salmon/steelhead, and saltwater patterns.

dry fliestroutmidge

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Regional shopStrong match

Driftless Angler

Matched on dry flies, trout, midge. Driftless-specific trout source for spring creek nymphs, dries, and local bug windows.

dry fliestroutmidge

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George Griffith, founder of Trout Unlimited, created a fly so small you need reading glasses to tie it on and faith to believe it is floating. The Griffith's Gnat imitates a cluster of midges on the surface -- because even trout understand that individually, midges are barely worth the effort. Fished in sizes that make your tippet look like a bridge cable, it is the fly that separates the patient from the frustrated.

Quick Facts

TypeDry Fly

Difficultyintermediate

SeasonsSpring, Fall, Winter

Target SpeciesRainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Mountain Whitefish

Sizes#16 - #24

Best LocationsSouth Platte River, CO; Big Horn River, MT; San Juan River, NM

Where to Fish It

South Platte River

CO · Tailwater

Big Horn River

MT · Tailwater

San Juan River

NM · Tailwater

Map unavailable. Locations for Griffith's Gnat: South Platte River, CO; Big Horn River, MT; San Juan River, NM

Related Reading

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The Complete Guide to Mayfly Hatches

Mayflies are the foundation of trout-stream entomology. This guide covers every major hatch — BWOs, PMDs, Green Drakes, Sulphurs, Tricos, and Hendricksons — with the biology, timing, and fly selections you need to fish them effectively across the country.

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Midge Fishing: The Tiny Flies That Save the Day

When every other hatch has shut down, midges keep trout feeding. From winter tailwaters to high-altitude stillwaters, Chironomidae are the most abundant insects in freshwater ecosystems. Learning to fish these tiny patterns unlocks twelve months of dry-fly and nymphing opportunities.

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Water Temperature: The Master Variable

Water temperature controls everything. Metabolism, feeding intensity, insect emergence, dissolved oxygen, where fish hold, and whether they'll eat your fly. Understanding thermal dynamics across freshwater and saltwater systems is the single most reliable way to predict fishing quality before you even leave the truck.

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The Winter Guide: Cold Water, Warm Hands, Willing Fish

Winter separates the dedicated from the fair-weather crowd. The rivers are empty, the hatches are tiny, and the fish feed in slow motion. But they do feed — they have to. And the angler who understands cold-water metabolism, midge biology, and the art of slowing down will find winter fishing not just productive but deeply rewarding.