I know this is a heresy to someone called ”dryflyguy” but often times a midge pupa pattern works as well or better than a dry midge pattern, and it’s easier to tie. The midge pupa is as simple as using your tying thread for the body, in the appropriate color, and a finishing with a little dubbing fur near the head. No need to find and tie small hackle or wings. Nearly any tier can tie midges this way. I usually use small (size 20 and smaller) scud / pupa hooks for this pattern, like TMC 2457. They have a wider gap for better hooking in small sizes and have a curved shank. A slightly curved body looks more realistic to me, and the fish seem to like it. No need to tie 20-22-24-26-28…I tie 20’s – 24’s – 28’s….. The difference in sizes is so small that I skip the hook sizes in between. If you think that it makes a difference than tie the pattern a little shorter to tie the next smaller hook size.
The pupa sits in the film and can’t be seen. To fish it in calm water I grease the leader and tippet leaving the last 12” ungreased, and watch the floating tippet for a strike. In riffled water I put a pinch of strike putty on the tippet knot and watch that to see the strike. Sometimes I tie on a visible dry fly on as an indicator, but watch out for the dry drifting in another current lane from the midge. You must keep them in line or the dry will drag the midge and ruin the presentation. I'm sitting here at the computer waiting for it to warm up a little before I go fishin', hoping to get into some midge action. Wish me luck.