have been fishing a local lake for a couple of years, its well stocked but recently weeds has grown at an alarming rate, so much so that the fishing in that area has stopped as people are fed up with snagging on weeds -although the fish are still there. Question, how can I fish just below the surface without catching the weeds. No floats are allowed and only single flies. Have tried dry flies without much success

Probably shouldn't tell you this but if you tie your own flies.before you tie in the tail or rib tie in some 10lb mono. and leave it until you are about to wind in the hackle.mask the hook with the mono and tie it in.When the fish bites the mono collapses but 99-times out of 100 with a measured retrieve it will ride over weeds

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an interesting mix of apathy and panic

Clive M

Persevere with Dries.. Fish fine and especially in the evening more fun than using nymphs etc...

Good point well made......there are some big clever fish hiding in those weeds though

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an interesting mix of apathy and panic

Clive M

If you look at 'Bass Poppers' used by 'fly flickers' chasing large or small mouth Bass you'll find almost all are tied with the above ... for exactly the reason stated.

fae

A ploy I have used is hare's ear nymph, or other nymph, some I use have ostrich herl bodies. Soak nymph in floatant, use mono or copolymer leader with last few inches treated with leader sink. When you retrieve, the nymph will dip under the surface film but pop back up when retrieve paused.
Also try the induced take with dries, get the fly to plop on the water. Again I have caught using this method when trout have had their heads tucked into the weed and I have only seen their tails.