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