Floating lines in the surf

[Russ C]

I was looking at Ken Abrahm's website, Striper Moon, last night and ran across a self-described "rant" in which Ken said that floating lines were far superior to sinking or intermediate lines in the surf. This is strongly contrary to what I have read and done--I use shooting heads, almost always intermediate or fast sinking, sometimes with floating flies that can bobble around in the trough. Ken argues that you should fish in, not behind, the surf or wash zone, and a floating line allows you to control and mend the line, whereas other fisherman try to fish beyond the first breakers with a sinking line.

Anyway, Ken states his arguments forcefully and thoroughly and got me to thinking I should try it next time I am surf fishing. I don't get to the beach much anymore, but when I do I love to fish the surf.

Any thoughts out there? What lines do most of you folks fish the surf, or in inlets/jetties with surf action? Does it make a difference if you are fishing parrellel to waves (as you can from points and jetties) or perpendicular, as you frequently do from the beach?

Russ

[dudley]

I'm a big surf fan, in fact it's my favorite form of fly fishing.
Like yourself I have read Ken's rant a number of times.
Ken has a number of issues that he feels "strongly" about, but the use of floating line in the surf is one I can agree with (mostly)
This season I even got myself a 10' rod to better lift my floating line over breaking waves.
I find that when the surf is a reasonable level, say five feet and under, a floating line works as advertised, and if you're paying attention to line control you can even skip the stripping basket
Although my floating line technique improves with each session, when the surf is heavy, I find I still do better with a full sink.
Casting and fishing parallel with the waves is almost always the best way to go even if you need to wade out and quarter cast toward shore.
It's amazing how often you will cast out as far as you can only to have a fish strike right in the wash

[tailingloop]

On our southern California beaches, for most situations, use of a floating line will be more trouble than it is worth and less effective. A floating line is much more likely to be caught up in floating segments of eel grass or kelp and a sinking line gets beneath that stuff. It is much easier to keep the offering on the bottom where it needs to be with a sinking line.

There are some applications for floating lines in the surf here but these are the exception rather than the rule.

[SkipS]

It all depends on what kind of surf you have.If it has a lot of wash,a floater will work well there.But if your beach has fairly deep water right off the sand,I prefer an intermediate.This is also my prefered line for the jetty.The beaches here in Delaware are changing and we have lost a lot of that wash area that I like to fish.And yes,it pays to fish parallel to the beach in the wash.

[PG Flyfisher]

I have always had the best luck with an intermediate line in the surf here in Florida. However, from time to time, I also use a floating line. It all depends on the conditions. I usually take both an intermediate and a floating line with me and let the conditions dictate which one I use. Bottom line...use what is best for you!

[Russ C]

Well, thanks for the input. I think I will try a full floater over labor day, when I am at the beach. Sunset Beach in southern NC, if anyone else goes down that way. I may try to fish off of a jetty that is very broad based (lots of rocks under the surface) and has a tendency to try and eat you line. I think a floater will survive longer.

I will give a report if I have any success.

Russ

[Micropteris]

Only a floater will let you pick it up of the water and readjust it. New England surf deals with fish feeding right in the white water. One second there is dry land then next there are feeding fish coming with the waves. It is hard to control any type of sinking line when the waves have their way with it. You can't pick them up over a wave.

There are a lot of tradidtional techniques that Mr. Abrames utilizes that can't be accomplished with anything but a floater. It is all about line control, not just sling and zing.

As far a fishing paralell verses perpendicular, stripers move along beaches in the beach break. The longer you can keep your fly in it the more likely you will come across a fish.

[MuddlerMinnow]

I think the key factors are the distance you are fishing at and where in the surf zone you are trying to play the fly.

If you are fishing the water close to you and are working the fly primarily in the waves at your feet or immediately in front of you, then a floating line works very well. If you are casting beyond the first wave, then a floating line rides up the waves and creates slack between you and the fly, preventing you from feeling the fly. In those conditions, I prefer an intermediate line. Most of the areas I fish are too shallow for a fast sinking line-- I'd be in the bottom all the time-- but I can see the need on more sharply sloped beaches.

Outside the surf, I frequently use a floating line if I'm fishing flats or river outlets, particularly if there aren't any waves or chop. If there are waves or chop, then I find myself preferring an intermediate.

MM

[eponymous]

Different situations require diff equipment and techniques.

I fished a jetti in Hyannisport this weekend. The weeds were on top and the stripers were down below - 6-10 feet. A floating line was about as usefull as you know whats on a bull. The sinking line was the only way to get the fly into the feeding zone.

As vehament as Abrames is about floaters there are striper guides in the northeast like Dan Marini who fish almost exclusively with heavy sinking lines and trust me the guy produces fish by the bushel. I have fished with him and gotten no hits on 5 straight casts. He tells me to wait 2 more seconds for the line to sink and bang - fish. Next cast wait 2 more seconds and bang another fish.

Again. Different situations - different equipment and techniques. There is no right or wrong. Only catching and not catching. If it isn't working switch things up.

That said I love casting floating lines because they are easy to control. Same can be said for intermediate lines. A blast to cast and still with pretty effective control.

[BigFlatBrook]

That's interesting. I located the article on striper moon and read it. What he describes is similar to a technique that I learned from an experienced Sandy Hook fly fisherman last fall.

Basically, using an intermediate line, you cast out between the breakers and retrieve your line only fast enough to maintain contact with the fly. Just let your fly play in the waves. I actually did pretty well using this method with very sparsely tied clousers -- pretty well for me, anyway. He claimed that he outfished the clam soakers, and told some funny stories about their frustration when he was catching fish right in front of them. Clams are the universal bait down there because of the monstrous clam beds around Sandy Hook.

Of course, the big stripers never made it inshore last fall. There were focused on big schools of herring, and the herring never got close enough for us shore bound anglers. I saw some blitzes that must have been 10 acres in size but way out of casting range. If you had a boat, you probably had a great year.