Although called a gnat, this is actually a great all-purpose dry fly, effective either on rivers or lakes. It works best in smaller sizes where it suggest all sorts of small creatures trapped in the surface film. It also makes a very good representation of small chironomid midges in a mating ball.

The Griffith’s Gnat is tied using only two materials: peacock herl for the body and a grizzle cock hackle wound along it’s length.

Interestingly, to keep its weight to a minimum, there is no rib and the hackle is caught in at the tail and wound up towards the head, rather than the reverse. The hackle should also be very shore, with fibre length a little more than the gape of the hook.