Tom said:
I now recall my surf rod was 11'6" long with a reverse-taper butt that produced a great action for tossing a 6oz lead into the surf. I sold the rod when we moved to CA and haven't seen another like it. OTOH I haven't done any surf fishing in the last 25 years?
Brit surf fishermen are sort of famous in surf lore for their long, long casts and windmill casting techique. With that tidal range one could see how they would need radical technique for long casts.
Another surf group, more infamous than famous, are the shark fishers of Padre Island, TX. Evidently their surf rig consist of roller tipped rods, wire leaders, 6/0 reels, and big trebles. They are fishing for white shark! The clowns throw a rotten meat bait out into the surf on the treble hooks by hand at low tide, and then walk back to the rods and sit down waiting for the flood tide whilst killing a six pack of Lone Star. When a white hits the bait these clowns then set the hook and procede to fight the white in the surf. The angler is trying to drag the white on shore, the white is trying to drag the angler into the Gulf. Whoever, wins, gets dinner. The general social class of these lads is redneck biker.