How to Tie the Gray Fox Dry Fly Pattern

Feb 06, 2023 · 2 min read

Learn how to tie the Gray Fox dry fly pattern, including step-by-step instructions, a video tutorial, pictures, and much more. Improve your fly-tying skills here.

The Gray Fox Dry Fly is a great go-to pattern, no matter which side of the country you’re on. This pattern originated in the Catskills by Preston Jennings in the 1930s. Despite developing as an eastern fly pattern, it has since found a home across the west where it’s effective for imitating tan and brown mayflies.

Material List

Hook: TMC 100 in size 14
Thread: UTC 70 Denier in Tan
Tail: Whiting Dry Fly Cape in Ginger
Body: Hareline Arctic Fox Hair in Tan
Wing: Hareline Mallard Flank Feather
Hackle: Whiting Rooster Cape or Saddle in Ginger
Whiting Rooster Cape or Saddle in Grizzly

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Step One

Gold curved fly hook clamped in black vise beside pink-topped bobbin with red thread — fly tying dry fly tutorial

Begin by establishing a thread base from below the hook eye to the point.

Step Two

Hands trimming gray feather with scissors for Gray Fox dry fly on vise, soft hackle and synthetic wing, fly tying close-up

Prepare the wing by cutting a V formation into the mallard flank feather’s webby portion, then strip the fuzzy fibers from the stem.

Step Three

Partially tied Gray Fox dry fly on copper hook with white synthetic tail held in fly-tying vise

Fold the wing over itself, then secure the tip on the shank’s base with the V initially pointing toward the eye. Be sure to clip the rear-facing fibers.

Step Four

Close-up fly tying: thumb and vise hold a small gold hook with white thread and gray dubbing for Gray Fox dry fly

Fold the V reward, then build a thread dam in front of it to help position the wing upright.

Step Five

Fingers holding Gray Fox dry fly with gray hackle fibers and gold hook for fly tying tutorial

Finish the wing by turning X-wraps around the material’s center to separate them on either side of the shank.

Step Six

Tan Gray Fox dry fly with wrapped body, white hair tail and pale hackle in vise on blue-gray background

Now that the wing is complete reverse the thread to the bend, then secure several tips from the ginger cape on the curve. Be sure to clip the forward-facing strands before moving on.

Step Seven

Gray Fox dry fly on vise: cream dubbed body, white tail fibers and translucent hackle tied to copper hook

Moving to the Gray Fox’s body, form a small dubbing noodle on the thread with the Arctic Fox hair, then make overlapping turns from above the tail to the wing.

Step Eight

Gray Fox dry fly in vise with pale gray and white feather wings, fine hackle and tan thread body for fly tying tutorial

Strip the fuzzy fibers from the tips of the grizzly and ginger hackles, then tie them on the shank’s side near the wing, with the feathers stacked on each other.

Step Nine

Gray Fox dry fly with cream tail and dense gray-brown hackle tied on hook in vise, feather and dubbing materials

Wrap the first feather before and in front of the wing, then secure it below the eye. Repeat the same step with the other feather.

Step Ten

Gray Fox dry fly on vise with gray-brown hackle, pale feather tail and gold bead head, hand-tied

After trimming the wayward hackle fibers, build up a small head and complete a whip finish. Now the Gray Fox Dry Fly is ready to hit the water gracefully.

Written by

Stephen D' Angelo

Stephen D'Angelo is a fly fishing expert with a passion for fly tying, gear, and time on the water. From small-stream trout to saltwater flats fishing, Stephen brings hands-on experience across a wide range of species and scenarios — and he's always happy to help you find the right setup for your next adventure.

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