Troutnut.com Fly Fishing for Trout Home
User Password
or register.
Scientific name search:

Gray Foxes



Like most common names, "Gray Fox" can refer to more than one taxon. They're previewed below, along with 13 specimens. For more detail click through to the scientific names.

Mayfly Species Maccaffertium vicarium

These are often called Gray Foxes.
In the East and Midwest this is one of the most important hatches of the Spring. They are large flies which emerge sporadically, making for long days of good fishing.

This species contains the two classic Eastern hatches formerly known as Stenonema vicarium and Stenonema fuscum, the "March Brown" and "Gray Fox." Entomologists have discovered that these mayflies belong to the same species, but they still display differences in appearance which the trout notice easily. Anglers should be prepared to imitate both types.
Maccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly NymphMaccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly Nymph View 5 Pictures
Collected April 19, 2006 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on April 21, 2006
Male Maccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly DunMale Maccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly Dun View 10 PicturesI collected this mayfly on the same trip as a female of the same species. After these photos it molted into a spinner. This is the form of Maccaffertium vicarium which anglers call the "Gray Fox."
Collected May 28, 2005 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on May 24, 2006
Female Maccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly SpinnerFemale Maccaffertium vicarium (March Brown) Mayfly Spinner View 7 PicturesI collected this mayfly on the same trip as a male of the same species. They are Maccaffertium vicarium mayflies of the type formerly known as Stenonema fuscom, the "Gray Fox."
Collected May 28, 2005 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on May 24, 2006

Mayfly Species Heptagenia solitaria

These are sometimes called Gray Foxes.
Heptagenia solitaria (Ginger Quill) Mayfly NymphHeptagenia solitaria (Ginger Quill) Mayfly Nymph View 1 Pictures
Collected February 27, 2005 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on June 28, 2011
Male Heptagenia solitaria (Ginger Quill) Mayfly SpinnerMale Heptagenia solitaria (Ginger Quill) Mayfly Spinner View 3 Pictures
Collected July 5, 2005 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on June 27, 2011
Heptagenia solitaria (Ginger Quill) Mayfly AdultHeptagenia solitaria (Ginger Quill) Mayfly Adult View 4 PicturesThis species is common in the Flathead River below Kerr Day. The river here is fairly warm with a cobble and boulder bottom with heavy periphyton at times. This species is not common elsewhere in western Montana.
Collected July 4, 2005 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on June 28, 2011

Mayfly Genus Stenacron

These are very rarely called Gray Foxes.
The species in this genus were formerly classified in Stenonema. See the genus Maccaffertium for details. Only one species, Stenacron interpunctatum, is important to fly fishermen. See its page for details.
Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly NymphStenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly Nymph View 7 Pictures
Collected June 5, 2005 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on May 25, 2006
Male Stenacron (Light Cahills) Mayfly DunMale Stenacron (Light Cahills) Mayfly Dun View 13 Pictures
Collected May 27, 2005 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on May 22, 2006
Male Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly SpinnerMale Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly Spinner View 8 Pictures
Collected June 10, 2005 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on May 26, 2006

Mayfly Species Stenacron interpunctatum

These are very rarely called Gray Foxes.
This is the best of the sporadic summer hatches known to anglers as Light Cahills. It was formerly known as Stenonema canadense and is considered by most angling historians as the model for that classic Catskill pattern.
Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly NymphStenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly Nymph View 7 Pictures
Collected June 5, 2005 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on May 25, 2006
Female Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly DunFemale Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly Dun View 6 PicturesThis is a fairly small late-season female Stenacron dun.
Collected August 22, 2006 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on August 23, 2006
Male Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly SpinnerMale Stenacron interpunctatum (Light Cahill) Mayfly Spinner View 8 Pictures
Collected June 10, 2005 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on May 26, 2006

Mayfly Species Ephemera varia

These are very rarely called Gray Foxes.
This is an excellent hatch of a different character than its Ephemera brethren. Rather than emerging in a flurry of activity within a week, the Ephemera varia flies may last for more than a month in a single place.
Ephemera varia (Yellow Drake) Mayfly NymphEphemera varia (Yellow Drake) Mayfly Nymph View 4 Pictures
Collected March 29, 2006 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on April 6, 2006
Female Ephemera varia (Yellow Drake) Mayfly DunFemale Ephemera varia (Yellow Drake) Mayfly Dun View 7 PicturesThis yellow drake dun hatched out of my aquarium over a month before her brethren in the wild are slated to emerge. She seems a bit small, and that might be the reason.
Collected May 13, 2007 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on May 18, 2007
Female Ephemera varia (Yellow Drake) Mayfly SpinnerFemale Ephemera varia (Yellow Drake) Mayfly Spinner View 6 PicturesI found this female spinner ovipositing in a small stream. She came along while I was playing a trout -- every good bug seemed to do that last night! I didn't have my bug net, so I caught the trout in my landing net, released the trout, and caught the mayfly in my landing net. Her wing got a bit messed up from that.
Collected July 7, 2006 from in
Added to Troutnut.com by on July 8, 2006
Top 10 Fly Hatches
Top Gift Shop Designs
Top Insect Specimens
Miscellaneous Sites