Art Scheck, in his book ?Tying Better Flies?, describes a method of tying a mono weed guard that I really like. He writes that Ed Jaworowski also wrote about this method.

The monofilament is tied to the side of the hook shank from behind the eye to, but not down, the bend of the hook. After tying the body of the fly, bring the mono through the eye of the hook and lightly secure it with a few wraps of thread. Tuck the loop inside the hook gap. Adjust the length of the loop so that it protects the point of the hook, fold the mono back over the top of the fly head and finish tying it in.

This mono weed guard stays in place better than others I have tried. It moves to the side when a fish strikes, yet is sufficient to bounce off most obstructions. For the conditions you describe, I use 15 to 20 pound leader material or something similarly stiff. To use a worn out phrase, I don?t want the weed guard to become a fish guard.

To get a better description, see if you can get Scheck?s book through your library.

I also like the bendbacks that Robin mentioned. They're good over weed beds.

Regards,
Tracy