Before there were Barbel rods / older rods

[Andrew Jackson]

I recently picked up an unused original Drennan IM6 Medium Feeder Rod, which still has the clear plastic covering over the cork handle and info label tied to the first line guide. The rod is over 30 years old and is immaculate!

The info label made me smile, as the rod has line rating of 3 to 5lb and claims to be an “excellent Thames Barbel rod”

Around 1990 when I first got into Barbel fishing, it was on the River Severn around Shrewsbury. There were masses of Barbel in the 3 to 7lb range. The rod everyone aspired to own was the Drennan Big Feeder, which was rated at 4 - 6lb line! That rod served me well, but I remember my first trip to the River Dove with it, during the late 1990’s. I hooked a Barbel like nothing I’ve hooked before, the rod locked up and it was a case of goodbye Mr Chips! The power of that fish, just shocked me. The next day I walked into my local tackle shop to find Drennan had just launched the Super Specialist Duo 12’ 1.5lb TC rod. This became my first serious Barbel rod…..

Regarding the Drennan Medium Feeder rod, I also picked up another for £35 a few months back, which was in surprisingly excellent condition! During the last few weeks of the season, I used it to target Perch to 3.10lb and Chub to just over 5lb. I really enjoyed using the rod and its just so robust compared to modern tip rods. Thicker walled carbon and double legged line guides throughout. 2 bits of inner tube were also added above and below the sliding reel seats to prevent slippage. I can strap it to my rod quiver no problem, and wouldn’t dream of doing that with a delicate Vertex or Acolyte tip rod.

I note on Fishflix that Martin Bowler also raves about some of the old Daiwa and Tricast tip rods, again from the 1990’s.

I remember a certain well known Avon angler catching a 13.03 Barbel on an Avon rod and 3lb line. He was targeting them with this gear as well. It was winter though with much less weed about. Whilst never using 3lb line for Barbel I successfully used 5lb line in winter and landed fish into double figures with a suitably light Avon rod. This was pretty standard for winter Barbel fishing in the winter in the 80's and into the 90's on the Wessex rivers. When I started fishing the Teme I got a shock. They were savage and 12lb line was the order of the day with a rod to match!

 

[Neil Smart]

I remember a certain well known Avon angler catching a 13.03 Barbel on an Avon rod and 3lb line. He was targeting them with this gear as well. It was winter though with much less weed about. Whilst never using 3lb line for Barbel I successfully used 5lb line in winter and landed fish into double figures with a suitably light Avon rod. This was pretty standard for winter Barbel fishing in the winter in the 80's and into the 90's on the Wessex rivers. When I started fishing the Teme I got a shock. They were savage and 12lb line was the order of the day with a rod to match!

My first barbel was on 5lb line on a small ledger rod, Kellaways, Andrew, the Chippenham bit, loved it down there. So many twists and turns, deeps and shallows.
Like you I found the Teme too, different gravy

 

[Luke Farren]

I'm a big fan of the IM6 Drennan Medium Feeder rod too, heaven with a 1.5oz tip! The slow taper glass tip and soft actioned top shows a bite like no new rods do.. I had a fighting fit young common of about 14lb on mine from the Adur, which took me up and down the river - I can't say it was the ideal tool for the job but it has a lovely through action and did OK. Surely there would be a market for a new rod that has the same characteristics aimed at river anglers? Everything about rods seems about fast and stiff nowadays, which I like in a long float rod but loathe in a 'tip rod.

 

[Neil Smart]

I'm a big fan of the IM6 Drennan Medium Feeder rod too, heaven with a 1.5oz tip! The slow taper glass tip and soft actioned top shows a bite like no new rods do.. I had a fighting fit young common of about 14lb on mine from the Adur, which took me up and down the river - I can't say it was the ideal tool for the job but it has a lovely through action and did OK. Surely there would be a market for a new rod that has the same characteristics aimed at river anglers? Everything about rods seems about fast and stiff nowadays, which I like in a long float rod but loathe in a 'tip rod.

The IM6 is a lovely blank. Shame it's discontinued.