Overview

The GT Triple Double is a cluster midge dry from signature tyer Gordon Tharrett, who guides on the A section of the Green River below Flaming Gorge, where the trout see a lot of anglers.

When midges hatch heavily, they clump together on the surface and trout rise to the clusters. This fly gives fish that clumped profile in a larger size, and Tharrett says it can turn a tiny-midge afternoon into a size 14 cluster day. It can also pass for an ant, so it earns its spot in the box well beyond midge season.

How to Fish It

• Dead drift: fish it to rising fish during heavy midge hatches on 5X or 6X.
• Lead fly: trail a tiny midge or emerger 12 to 18 inches behind it; the bigger fly is easier to see.
• Ant fall: fish it along banks in summer when trout are taking ants.
• Flat water: use a long leader and a downstream presentation for wary fish.

Choosing Color and Size

Black matches dark midges and ants and gives a strong silhouette. Purple is an attractor color that often draws fish on midge days.

Choose 12 for big clusters and visibility, 14 as the go-to size, and 16 for smaller clusters and picky fish. Black comes in 14 and 16; Purple in 12.