The curse of the buzzers

I was fishing some small lakes for rainbows when there was a good hatch of buzzers in mid afternoon. Trout were taking them leisurely from the surface, some rising only 5yds from the bank. I tried small black buzzers in the surface film, with breathing tubes of either CDC or white poly fibre. Not a take even, thought fish were rising around the artificials.

As far as I could make out, the buzzers were small and probably black or dark grey.

Has anybody any ideas on how to get them to take artificials when they are engrossed in munching small naturals ?

Use a floating line for a start. Are you sure they were taking these insects on the surface or just underneith.

Trout take far more midge pupa just under the surface than from the surface, creating the typical head and tail and shatter rises.

Use a flourocarbon leader that has been well degreased using mud or one of the propriety de-greasers. And give the flies some movement. A steady figure of eight or draw often does the trick.

That's a good approach, Ron. But also try drifting the buzzers rather than trying any kind of retrieve. You don't HAVE to have a sight bob but it helps.
Just fling the flies out slightly across the wind, and let the line bow round. Aim to get the drift as slow as possible - even a modest drift will haul the buzzers to the surface.
If it's quite breezy, put on a heavier point fly such as a gold-head GRHE or PT, which will help get the flies down a little, and cast more downwind rather than across it.
Takes can be really violent or really gentle - if the latter, add a sight bob or a buoyant deer-hair top dropper such as a Goddards Caddis as a marker

I tie my surface film buzzers with a parachute hackle. It keeps them squarely in the surface film.
And yes, just let them drift. Don't let them drag across if you can avoid it too.

It was flat calm and I'm sure the trout were taking flies sat in the surface film - I saw one do this at close range.

I was using a floating line, 4lb mono (not fluoro) and the artificials just sat there because there was no wind. I used a big dry fly on a dropper as an indicator.

Thank you all for the advice - anybody ever tried a Shipman's buzzer in these conditions

Well I often let my flies drift too. But often, when the fish are mucking about, I give the flies a good old pull.

Like today on Press Manor.

10 fish, best 2 3/4 lbs. 3 to bring home.

They didn't want the dead drifted fly!

An angler fishing close to me had three nice fish on a damp Shipmans.

And by the way I was smashed by a fish that took the top buzzer whilst winding in to make a move.