Saturday 10 August 2013

A review of the new Drennan Acolyte Ultra

I didn't need a new rod. But when I picked up the new drennan acolyte ultra 13ft it was one of those moments; like when Harry potter picks up a wand for the first time.

At 4.75oz, and as wide as your little finger I was impressed. It felt very tippy, crisp, and fast actioned. When couple with a compact float reel, it balanced perfectly, raising the tip slightly above the horizontal - feeling almost like an extension of my arm, I knew I could hold it all day no problem.

So I had to buy it!

I had intended to give it it's first outing on the river tees, using a stick float for the shoals of dace and roach. And yet, somehow en route, I inadvertently took the wrong exit and ended up on the river swale. Oh well, I thought, lets see how much backbone this rod does have. 

Tactics involved a drennan big stick (4 1/2 bb) to a size 18 drennan super spade, with drennan 3.2lb float fish as the mainline straight through to the hook. Caster was the bait of choice, two pints of it for a mornings session. 

Constant feeding whilst setting up meant that the first trot through ended in a bite, the culprit an 8oz rod, and I was impressed by the ease of which the rod dealt with it.

Next cast I struck into a solid lump. I always find that if you are patient, you can retrieve very big fish on light gear, they don't always know they are hooked. This one though had other ideas, and I had to put a serious curve in the acolyte. And it proved to me that it has plenty of backbone in reserve! Eventually landed, the rest of the morning was bliss as I lande three more 4lb plus chub as well as some smaller specimens an a grayling.

To conclude: What an awesome rod




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