[Zeke]

Chief has got it. Keep the angle of the torch at optimum, about 30 degrees from vertical, and look in from the side. Most welders "push" the puddle while MIG welding, so if you can lean over to the front and side, you should see all you need to see.

The motion, or weave pattern you use will also help. There may be instants that the puddle is obscured by the gas nozzle on the torch, but you should see the tip of the wire as it deposits in the puddle most of the time.

I like a short stick out and I have a couple of nozzles that have been modified with the band saw so I can get in there and still see. You may want to shorten your nozzle a bit and see if it still surrounds the puddle with gas. If there is much air movement near the weld, it gets harder to run a good bead.

Or, you can switch over to wire feed with no gas and flux core to practice. More splatter, but same principles. The wire feed nozzle is much smaller; it's just a protector.