Tying The Pop Top Winter Emerger Midge 16Nov22

I improved my Pop Top midge for ruggedness and cleanliness and I'll share the complete tying instructions here. It's a killer tailwater midge in winter & early spring in CO. I dreamed of it clearly as reported HERE. 1st the recipe/ingredients:

• Hook: #22 TMC 2488H
• Thread: 1 white + 1 black 70 UTC UltraThread spooled together (or red + black)
  
• Body: thread body coated with Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails
  
• Thorax: Adams Grey superfine (or Trico, dark brown-maroon, superfine)
  
• Wing: emerging wing of lavender ice dub

First, spin onto an old thread spool 1 white and 1 black 70 UTC thread simultaneously.

Then secure a #22 TMC 2488H hook in the vise and bind on the threads half-way down the hook bend with just 2 overlapping turns and wrap the thread body forward taking care to lay the threads side-by-side and not twist them.

Trim the rear thread tag close and burn it with a lighter to ensure no thread fuzz is back there. Then, paint the entire thread body with coating ensuring to cover the back end.

Dub a small noodle of Adams Grey superfine onto the threads (it won't behave exactly as expected given the pair of threads but it will ultimately bind well).

Wrap the thorax on from the eye to the thread base.

Dub a tiny bit of lavender ice dub onto the thread and lift the thread above the hook.

Squish the dubbing down to the hook and thorax with fingernail; take care not to bump the thread body as it is likely still drying.

Pull the thread straight over the thorax and eye and bind onto the hook with a wrap right behind the eye. Whip finish. Fluff the ice dubbing a smidge with a pick and trim it to be a wing no higher than 1/2 hook gap. The Pop Top slays 'em.

I also tie this with a red + black thread body where the thorax is trico-colored (dark brown-maroon) superfine. All else is the same.

This is a killer Colorado tailwater midge in winter and early spring. I've not had to go to the #24 in this tie, but it'd be fine down there. It is absolutely a "guide tie" as it is very simple and fast to tie, and with the Hard As Nails coating it's gotten much more rugged. There is no intellectual property protection in fly tying but this one is unique ~ if you tie it, and please do, just call it Coffin's Pop Top.