Grey Fox (Fuscum)

[Caddis]

Tonight while sitting here watching my tank, I noticed a few of the Fuscum nymphs standing on a rocks. Something was a bit different with the way they were standing though. The bodies had a reverse like arch on them. I turned my head for a second and the next thing you know, I have a Grey Fox flying around my tank. Watching the other one, I quickly raced for my video camera to tape the emergence. Well, wouldn't you know it, I couldn't get the damn thing to focus but did get the emergence on tape. It was pretty cool to say the least however, I can't say the video came out that great. (A bit blurry).

First, the head of the nymph shell splits open and moves forward. Then the wing case splits in half and the mayfly breaks free. He swims extremely fast to the surface and starts flapping its wings and finally flies away. The wings on this mayfly appear to dry instantly as it only takes but a few seconds for this dun to leave the water. I can't see trout going too far out of their way to catch this very fast emerger. It took all but a few seconds to reach the water surface and fly away.

So how do you fish a Grey Fox hatch? I can't even see the emerger raking in that many fish being that it's so fast and doesn't sit on the water surface at all.

Anyone care to see the really lousy video of the actual emergence?

[Scott]

From my experience fishing on the Brodhead last weekend, the trout pursue these mayflies aggressively.

I had one brown come completely out of the water when taking my dry.

I watched browns chasing the emergers around all over the place.

[JasonM]

Let's see the video.

[NJFred]

Dennis... I'll bet that Caddis are even faster in terms of swimming to the surface when emerging. As you know trout love these bugs and stage!

[Caddis]

I'll post the video later on tonight. It was really amazing watching the entire transformation. It was like a morph. Just so smooth.

My wife thinks I'm nuts with this stuff, but when she witnessed the emergence she said, "Wow!!! That was really amazing." I couldn't believe how neet she thought it was to see that.

[flyin]

I wonder if the emergence is as fast in the wild as it is in your home. I would guess the temperature in your home is a minimum of 10 degrees warmer than stream side, and that's being *very* conservative...i.e. assuming you keep your home cool.

So, 'in the wild' the emergence process may be at least a little bit slower. Not to mention that the hatches that attract the fish's attention have to be in the 1000's at a time, if not 10000's.

Very facinating!

[Caddis]

Hard to say, but a good question. Do they function better in cooler or warmer water, or do they function the same regardless? My tank is definetely much warmer than the stream. Some species of mayfly's I've noticed don't live too long in the warmer water; for instance, the Isonychia I thought for sure was going to hatch was dead when I arrived home yesterday. *Sob*.

I would imagine that they emerge at a fast pace in the stream being that it's moving water that may carry them to the top a bit quicker. Then again, 1000's or 10,000's like you say emerging at the same time and the trout being in a feeding lane that bring them food... Well, you know. Now the only thing... How to fish a lifeless looking emerger pattern. I would say to fish it using a swing down trout lane, and you'll hook up.