Tying the original Black Gnat (circa 1885)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 มิ.ย. 2024
- First tied by Frederick Halford of Hampshire, England in 1885, this pattern is a great imitation of the annoying little black gnats that swarm around us when outdoors on warm days.
Hook: #16-20 dry fly
Thread: Black
Body: Black dubbing
Wing: Pale starling, or thin slips from any bird's flight feather
Hackle: Black (or grizzly)
** Some of the popular books used on this channel: **
Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: amzn.to/34U0rUe
Mike Valla's "Tying the Founding Flies," 2015, amzn.to/354oSir
Valla's "Tying and Fishing Bucktails..." 2016, amzn.to/3Jg2Mys
Valla's "Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3DmYOjJ
Valla's "Classic Streamer Fly Box," 2020, amzn.to/3n3Vakf
Dave Hughes, "Essential Trout Flies," 2017, amzn.to/3lbCZYX
Hughes, "Nymphs for Streams and Stillwaters," amzn.to/3HC2jpc
Hughes, "Wet Flies," 2015, amzn.to/33ac3lQ
David Klausmeyer's "Favorite Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3oeSNMa
Randle Scott Stetzer's "Flies, the Best One Thousand," amzn.to/34Q15mp
Terry Hellekson's "Popular Fly Patterns," 1976, amzn.to/2L4IyvS
Dick Stewart's, "Flies for Bass and Panfish," 1992, amzn.to/3aGpFs1
Savage Flies is a project with the mission of encouraging and teaching fly tying to as many people as possible. The channel is named after one of my western Maryland homewaters, the Savage River. Thanks for stopping by. - กีฬา
Thank you for another classic. I find there's something comforting (and connecting) about tying flies my family five generations before me would have used. And as we all know, a bad day out fishing is better than a good day in the office!
This is one of my go to patterns for a long time.
My hat is off to you on tying those small flies. Well done. My eyes and hands just don’t get that small work done anymore.
Thanks again for sharing the fishing footage. So glad you got into enjoying your day off. Just an incredible setting. The quiet and Gods great creations.
The color of those Sunfish is enough beauty you would have to enjoy that.
Thanks for a great video Matt. Appreciate it my friend.
Good day sir. The black gnat was one of the first flies I used when first starting my journey in the world of fly fishing. It was the first fly to catch me a landlocked salmon in a stream back in Maine. Thanks for sharing.
Great attitude Matt. It reminds me of when I was a kid and just happy to catch anything and be out fishing. Thanks.
You got that right Mel! Like they say, any day fishing...
Looks simple, but your skills make it so! Thanks, Matt!
Another awesome fly video, Matt! Thank you for sharing! Tight lines! 😎🎣
Any day that you can get out fishing or just walking a creek scouting for the next trip is a good day. Take Care
Personally I like a challenge so will tie this with starling. I have several capes but talk about fragile. Let me know if you need any starling. I love your mindset on your fishing trip. Fly fishing for me has always been a great stress reliever. And even fly tying because I’m thinking about where I’m going to go next. I know you keep a tight schedule. Thank you so much for your dedication and diligence. I will always be in your debt.
That insect you called a gnat is a flying ant guy. Notice the 3 distinct body sections with wings extended waaaay past the body. Flying ant.
As a side, fall fish and creek chubs are 2 different species, also that was a Redbreast Sunfish that you caught.
Fun times. I love catching sunfish. Of course, bigger is funner. 😂 Great video, thanks for sharing, Matt.
You always do a great job your vids are very informative you tell what hook and size and a very detailed material list your one of the best on here kudos Matt your friend Mark
That is a cool looking fly, Matt
I would have thought that the little gnat would have out fished the hopper. Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes
That is a gorgeous river and some nice sunfish
Thanks for the video, Matt
Looks like someone I need to add to my fly box ! Thank you for another great video!
Nice Matt☕️☕️
Good bug, and that looked great walking water and I know about the two hour drives. 🤪
You’re right Matt. Life’s too short not to enjoy a day fishing.
Thanks Matt 😄 😄😄
Nice old pattern matt tks for sharing any fish caught on a fly u tied is fun tight lines 😊
Damn good looking fly, bud always enjoy learning new ways to tie
One of the small streams I fish is stocked by the state, but some days all i get is sunfish, golden shiners or small grass pickerel. It's still fun and as you said great to be out there instead of working. Enjoy your day. Love your videos.
The biting gnat (black fly) in NE is a very nasty, annoying insect. However, they are so common in woodsy areas that they make a great dry or wet fly. I particularly liked using this pattern in lakes, behind beaver dams or in slow pools in rivers. Message on a fundraising T-shirt sold by the E. Millinocket Fire Dept: “Please don’t pet the black flies or ride the mosquitoes.
Psst, Matt, I think the wings are a tad long but they look really cool.
Haha! Thanks Bob. I think you're right on the wing length. And I even thought about it when tying them on, but then thought that the ones in my fly box had long wings. But then again they were probably too long too! As far as biting, these things didn't bite at all as far as I can tell. I had plenty of them land on my bare skin and no bites. But also- another commenter mentioned that these may have been flying ants and not gnats. He could very well be right, they did have some segmented bodies kind of like ants.
You're also right about this working on slow, still water. I remember chasing one fish on the Savage for about 20 minutes. Right up against a rock ledge, where the water was barely moving. Several ant patterns got some looks but no take. But I somehow I didn't spook him. He kept feeding and eventually, trying 7x tippet with this gnat pattern and I caught him. He wasn't huge, maybe 12 inches or so, but it was the thrill of the hunt. This was probably five years ago and I think about that catch every time I'm near that stretch. :-)
Long or not, the look of the wing still looks really cool the way it’s shaped. There are lots of non-biting gnats. I think Ivar has them in Iceland. The insect in your picture could be a flying ant but I think the fish would take this pattern as either insect. This is the first pattern I tried when fishing beaver dams in Maine.
That's a good one, Matt.
Good morning Matt. ☕️time. Good pattern that black gnat. I have recently implemented a rule. Anything smaller than a sixteen I purchase. It’s much easier on my old lookers and more enjoyable for me at the bench. 😁. I don’t often use anything smaller than a 14 but there are occasions. We are headed north to a remote location for some fishing on Friday. It should be peaceful (no cell coverage) and lots of fun. Have a great rest of your week and I’ll catch up with you when I’m back. Take care. ☕️
Thank you matt looks awesome.
Good bug thanks for sharing Matt
Neat little fly Matt. I'm thinking you might even be able to make the body of yarn. Keep the good stuff coming.
Great fly and a must in any dry fly tackle. You sure whipped it up way too easy!! 🙃. Tough for me at those sizes. Thx Matt
You and me both Clyde!
Great video, thanks for sharing!
Neat looking flies
Great video
Love it. I'm still new at tying. I can't mess it up.😀
Thanks for the note! And welcome to the sport my friend. :-)
I save chicken feathers all the time. As well as any others I find. Sadly, I had a quail pass away unexpectedly. I did save some of his plumage though.
Good Morning Sir Matt, a really good looking fly. I always enjoy the footage you show us. I'm glad you had fun, I can't wait to have some like that. Take care my friend.😊
Any days out fishing are the best days. The fish are just the cherry on top. This one will be a hard tie for me. The eyes and hands aren't what they used to be. But I'll give it a go!
It is a small hook. The smallest I've seen tied is a 32, I have no idea how it could catch anything. The Black Gnat is a good pattern.
Hey Matt, try tying it in a 24! I was just on the Taylor river here in Colorado an thats what they wanted. Caught 7 in an hour and a half. Got to use the small neck hackleand get 2 wraps. Use white synthetic for the wing.
Holy cow Glenn! The smallest hooks I own are 22s and I'm rarely adventurous enough to even try tying or fishing with them. :-) I don't think I could even see anything smaller!
I cant see them either. Can barely see a 22, but there are times here in Colorado when they are rising to something you cant see or that you can and it is tiny. Thats when I go to 22 and 24. My bud even ties 26's. Not me😂.
Have a great day.
👍🏻👍🏻
What wait? You grabbed the feather from a chicken in your backyard? Need a video on that Matt! Using materials from your backyard.
Haha! I just might do that Hank. I could put the GoPro on my head one night when I go out to check on the chickens and rabbits. :-)
🪰🔍👀Way to small for me Matt. It reminds me of the dial-a-box flies I use to buy at Kmart as a kid. But those were larger wets. I didn't have chickens in the backyard but pigeon feathers for quills, etc, were easy pickings from under the eves where they would roost. Not to be confused with "roast", unless you're talking about squab, which I'm sure my grandfather and his ancestors ate. Sorry, I must be hungry, thinking about the little beef braciole my grandmother made, roasted in the oven or even better on the charcoal grill. As kids we called them "birdies" because the toothpicks holding them together looked like little roast chicken 🍗🍗legs. Ok Matt, apologize for the tangent, your videos inspire me in many ways! 😉👍