Zebra Midge - Pop-Top Pearl

The Zebra Midge with a Pearl Pop-Top — Built to Imitate the Emerging Midge

The Zebra Midge Pop-Top Pearl is a refined variation of the classic Zebra Midge that adds a pearl/iridescent top section — the "pop-top" — that imitates the gas bubble or emerging wing case of a midge pupa at the moment of hatching. This is the detail that makes trout eat when they're locked onto the exact stage of emergence, and it's what separates this pattern from a standard Zebra Midge in the most technical, selective feeding situations on Colorado's tailwaters.

The pearl top creates a subtle, multi-tonal flash that catches light in the water column and perfectly matches the natural sheen of a midge pupa's gas bubble — the biological trigger that signals to trout that this insect is vulnerable and ready to eat. On the Frying Pan, Roaring Fork, and Colorado River, this is the pattern to reach for during the peak of a midge hatch when fish are rising selectively and the standard Zebra Midge isn't getting the same response. Available in #18 and #20 at $2.75 each.

Pattern Details

• Style: Bead head midge pupa imitation with pearl pop-top
• Body: Classic Zebra Midge — black thread with silver wire ribbing
• Top: Pearl/iridescent pop-top — imitates gas bubble and emerging wing case
• Sizes available: #18, #20
• Imitates midge pupae at the moment of emergence
• Effective on the Frying Pan, Roaring Fork, Colorado River, and most Colorado tailwaters
• Works year-round; especially effective during active midge hatches
• Best when fish are keyed on the exact emergence stage

How to Fish It

Fish the Pop-Top Pearl in the surface film or just below it during active midge hatches when trout are rising selectively. Dead-drift under a small indicator or on a tight line just below the surface. The pearl top is most effective during the peak of the hatch when trout are locked onto emerging insects — this is when the extra detail makes the difference over a standard Zebra Midge. Pairs well with a standard black Zebra Midge or RS2 as a dropper in a two-fly rig.

Available in store at Glenwood Springs Outdoors, 831 Grand Ave, Glenwood Springs, CO.