Ron
You either got something very wrong or you have a very different carb on your Saito 72 than I have on mine.
There should be no gap between the idle needle and the spray bar at any throttle setting. The idle needle (on mine) is a tube that slides over the spray bar, same as you discribe on yours.
My idle needle is 2 1/2 turns open and there never is a gap between it and the spray bar even with the throttle wide open. My high needle is 4 1/2 turns open and is only very slightly rich at full throttle. When the idle is correct it will be very difficult to blow air through at low throttle. By mouth it will seem blocked, but using a syringe (rubber bulb) you will be able to tell it's leaking.
It seems to me, without seeing the engine hearing it run, that you are very,very rich on the idle and lean on the high speed.