I have recently been trying to downsize some bugger patterns and was having the same problem until I found a Whiting “midge” saddle in my gear. With these very small barbed hackles I was able to produce flies that matched larger buggers proportionally. I think it was mentioned above that Whiting puts out small packages of these types of feathers …100 packs… or some such name.
I prefer the Whiting Hen Necks, too. They are longer than other hen necks for any given length of barb, IMHO. Hopefully I can successfully attach a picture of some 14 3xls. The feather is tip-tied at the rear of the shank and wrapped forward.
“Hare & Herl Bugger”
basicly you want the hackle barbs to be the same size as the hook gap . for a bodie dont over look peacok
or ostrige herl you can also dub with marabue too
or for a spley type rib it with marabue simply tear of one side of the plumage and wrap it palmerd style
just a few variations
Peter’s Hare and Herl Buggers are great! Rabbit fur for tails, peacock herl for bodies, hen neck for hackle – they make killer minibuggers, great for trout, panfish, etc.
Try this simple to tie ?Mini-bugger?. Originator: unknown fly fisherman on Four Mile Run, Arlington, VA 22205. This is my favorite ?go to fly? for stocked trout, pan fish, and small mouth bass. It is basically a small Wooly Bugger without palmered hackle. The standard pattern, that was given to me by a ?successful? fisherman on Four Mile Run in Arlington VA in 2002, had a gold bead head, olive chenille body and a black marabou tail with some Krystal-flash, but I?ve had good luck with an all white version and an all black version too.
Recipe
Hook: TMC 105 # 8, #10 Egg Hook
Head: 5/16 Gold Bead Head
Thread: Black 0/6 (white for white version)
Tail Black or other color Marabou and Krystal-Flash (a little longer than the hook length)
Body: Olive, Black, White or any other color small chenille
I think the smaller size, which probably is seen by the trout as a crayfish, leech or minnow, when used on smaller streams doesn?t scare the trout as much as a big Wooly Bugger. Who knows what the trout really thinks but this fly really works. Fishing Technique: Drift with an indicator or short strips like a Wooly Bugger as a streamer. If you are getting hits from fish nibbling on the tail, but no hookups, trim the tail. I?ve shown this pattern to fellow fishermen at the Northern Virginia Trout Unlimited Chapter at our monthly fly tying demo and they?ve had success with it too. (I?d post a picture of the fly but haven?t figured out how to do that?)
John Hadley
Fisherman John:
I know exactly where you are coming from. I have used buggers until they are so beat up that there is no more hackle left one them. I still keep on using them since the fish seem to still like them 
I don’t tie buggers this way though. I have found it works a bit better with crystal chenille. Either way no hackle on a bugger (if thats what it can still be called at that point) works for me.
You can see a picture of the Olive Mini-bugger on the Northern Virginia Chapter of Trout Unlimited Website: http://www.nvatu.org/