"Griffith’s Gnat — Tied like a miniature Woolly Bugger to resemble midges, midge emergers and midge clusters. First tied by George Griffith, one of the founders of Trout Unlimited." http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/sports/stories/2007/11/28/112807_OUT_patterns_WWW.html

By DAVE BUCHANAN The Daily Sentinel

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

As if you really needed to be reminded, all of us carry too many flies in our vests, even in the winter when nothing is hatching. Honestly, however, a handful of midge patterns chosen carefully for shape, color and size will catch 99 percent of the trout.

Your job, of course, is to decide which among the thousands of midge patterns available are the ones you want to carry. Your only advantage here is, well, midge patterns are tiny, aren’t they, and so you could carry thousands (well, hundreds, anyway) of your favorite pattern and still be assured of floating when you step into that big hole in the Gunnison.

One key is to have a range of fly patterns imitating the different stages of a midge development. Trout target specific stages and can switch preferred patterns with amazing speed. Somehow, you have to follow those changes.

Here are a few patterns gleaned from the vests and fly boxes of many different anglers, all of whom have been known to swear at and by these miniscule bits of steel, feather and thread. You might have other favorites.

Lees Ferry Midge — Phil Trimm of Western Anglers in Grand Junction said this is one of the more-popular regional pattern, “a simple pattern with a thread base and glass bead head, really easy to tie.”

Miracle Nymph — Also a Trimm suggestion, this has a floss body that becomes see-through when wet to match the underlaying thread. Some historians say legendary tier George Bodmer of Colorado Springs created this pattern for the trout in the South Platte near Deckers while others say it was tied for the Miracle Mile on the North Platte in Wyoming.

Zebra Midge — A favorite of Copi Vojta of Roaring Fork Anglers in Carbondale.

Brassie — Vojta also carries this, possibly another Bodmer creation, tied with a copper wire body and peacock herl head, initially conceived to fool the midge-finicky trout in the South Platte River.

Copper John — Maybe not always considered a midge, but tied in 18-22 it can be used as larva imitation.

Kimball’s Emerger — Originally designed by Mike Kimball, who earned this fly’s reputation when he was able to fool the evening sippers on Armstrong Spring Creek in Montana.

Griffith’s Gnat — Tied like a miniature Woolly Bugger to resemble midges, midge emergers and midge clusters. First tied by George Griffith, one of the founders of Trout Unlimited.

RS2 Emerger — Another South Platte pattern, this one designed by Rim Chung. This and the WD-40, developed by John Engler on the Fryingpan River, have been adapted to all Western rivers where midges appear.