Wednesday Review... Drennan Acolyte Ultra 15ft Float

This entry was posted on 23rd July, 2014

Drennan Acolyte Ultra 15ft Float Review

Think of traditional river fishing and you have to have an image of a stick float gently wandering along the flow, the angler in the background nestled on the underside of a long rod.

In terms of sheer angling pleasure, this is hard to beat – especially when you’ve got one of the sexiest float rods available, and the Drennan Acolyte Ultra 15ft certainly falls into this category.



For stick-float work a long rod gives you the reach and angles to get more control over your float as it rides the current. A 15ft unit gives you loads of control, especially on bigger rivers, and this new rod on the market (Drennan Acolyte Ultra15ft) should get all us river anglers very excited.

Everyone knows the quality of Drennan’s top rods, and the ultra does nothing to damage that reputation. The three-piece rod when assembled is super-light, just 163g, and so well balanced you have to check the length again to make sure you’ve not actually picked up the 13ft version by mistake.

Many rods when they get past 13 feet can become unruly, with bouncing through the blank that cases tangles and all sorts of problems. There is nothing like that here.



Featuring a very fast tip, perfect for float work, including waggler and stick, the blank picks up line with a flick of the wrist but then settles down again just as you want it to.

It’s one of the finest tools I’ve come across for delicate float work with a long rod, but it’ll also take some stick. After catching a number of nice Bream I hooked into a good Carp. I had this fish on for a good five minutes before getting broken up on my light hook link, but If I hadn’t bullied it so much at one point I think the Acolyte would have given me the control I needed to actually land it. There was plenty of power down through the blank as it took on a great-looking arc in the sunshine.

This really is a beautiful rod and if you’re after a 15ft tool for whatever reason – not just on rivers, as this will also help you fish the waggler in deeper swims, or present a pole float in the margins – you really do need to get your hands on one in your local tackle shop. You will not regret it.



Key Features - Slim, high modulus carbon blank - Rigid with light crisp action & little or no bounce - Soft & cushioning tip action - Beautifully balanced - Provides excellent line and float control

Buy The Drennan Acolyte Ultra 15ft Float Rod