Hackle size

[Allan]

@DonO1

How many midges do you intend to tie, and will there be a color range required?
Check first w’Denny to see if he has some midge capes. If not, your best bet for a few feathers in that range would be capes. Whiting capes have very small hackles at the nape of the neck, but you have to be able to check them first. Just because the feather is very narrow, it doesn’t mean the barbs are short- they may just be folded tightly against the stem. Roll or flare them to check for length.
Third, I’d recommend some Whiting 100-paks in midge sizes. You could get a few colors and maybe share some paks and get a wider variety of colors for the same money.
Fourth, find a good friend who’s got some Whiting midge saddles and beg or trade just a few off of them. There are so many hackles on a saddle that a few won’t be missed, and that will tie dozens and dozens of midges.
5th, check around with tiers for old neck-napes left over after they have used all of the normal hackles. I used to have bags of these, but I gave them away to kid’c clubs. These can be a very inexpensive source for midge hackles, if you can find some with size 20 hackles.

Below are photos from my archives of size 32 midge saddle hackles, and a Whiting midge Cree saddle- nothing larger than an 18, and down to size 32 (Mustad). You could tie for a lifetime and not use up this saddle.

Don,

Now tell me you actually tyed some flies on the Mustad 32s using feather(s) from that saddle.
WOW!

Allan