We’re surprised it took us this long to feature a fly that falls under the general classification of “gnat.” This early-season pattern, while not actually a “black gnat” (which is something entirely different), does a great job of imitating either a single midge or a cluster of midges. Even better, though, is the fact that it’s painfully simple to tie and consists of materials that nearly every tyer has, even if they’re just getting started. (We’d like to say the materials are cheap, however the cost of quality hackle can sometimes be overwhelming to beginners.)

Kicking out a box full of these little gems is something you can easily do in a short amount of time. Which is great, since we’d rather be using our time to hit the water. Opening day is almost here!

Here’s what you’ll need …

Hook: Standard dry fly hook (Dai-Riki #305), sizes 14-22
Thread: Black, 6/0 (Danville Flymaster waxed thread)
Body: Peacock hurl
Hackle: Grizzly hackle

Tight lines!

– The Black Gnats

Advertisement