I'll try this next time out Yonny. As I say, the lake bed at White Cottage is strewn with leaf litter. I normally fish with my pop up about 2" off the weight but I'll try upping it by a couple of inches next time out to see if that makes any difference at all.
Again, thanks all for your thoughts. Much appreciated.
or..... if you have amazon prime you can do as i did and get this stuff for £7.99 next day del, 300mtr @ 50lb
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spectra-Extreme-Braided-100m-2000m-328Yards/dp/B01AYUUH0S/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1524066617&sr=8-12&keywords=fishing%2Bbraid&th=1&psc=1