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Drennan Acolyte Specimen Rod

Jonathan cooper said:
Ian, thanks for the steer to the other thread, very useful.

Can I ask what line strength you are using with your Plus, and Specimen?
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Glad is was worth you checking out 🙂.
I use 6lb straight through on both the plus and specimen rods I haven't yet come across a barbel that can snap 6lb sensor in a tug of war, unless the line is cut on a rock or other snag etc.
 
Edit: while typing I see Ian has replied, but FWIW (as I'm a relative coarse fishing novice) I agree.
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I was using 8lb glide mono. Very pleased with it and for what it’s worth in lower diameter and excellent fly leader, tends not to wind knot.
 
Kevin Siddle said:
Gave my specimen a workout yesterday, 7 barbel including a double from a pacey swim. I did lose a very big fish after a 25 minute battle, I saw the tail only and it was huge. To be honest having gone all over the river it eventually sat down stream of me and I just could not budge it, simple physics I guess large mass in heavy flow against a 15ft float rod. I dont know that any rod of that length would have shifted it. What I did learn is that the rod is powerful, will bend through to the butt and stay there without locking up, everything has it limits and finally that my age has caught up with me more than I thought!
I’m not likely to encounter this situation on a regular basis if ever again so am not looking for an alternative rod and to be quite honest dont know if there is a float rod that would have performed any better prior to my 8lb hook length going two inches above the hook.
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I had the same thing exactly happen to me.
It just kept slowly taking line one rotation of the pin at a time and I gave it absolutely everything but couldn’t turn it.
Got to 80 yards and i could see more arbor than I was comfortable with so I clamped down on the spool knowing the rod could definitely take it and sacrificed the hook link
Either huge barbel or a carp
I didn’t see it unfortunately but there was no landing it.
 
When float fishing, your far more likely to foul hook Barbel, as your baited hook is running through. The pectoral is a favourite followed by the dorsal and lastly the Tail. If you have unluckily tail hooked one, it will feel akin to a massive eel(catfish) and your in major trouble. I had a 13 plus tail hooked a couple of years ago, it was the most incredible fight I have ever had, expected when I saw the tail come out eventually.
 
An older angler told me a story once of a pal of his (a well known angler) who hooked into a tench (on a no-carp water) back in the early 90's that put up the most all-mighty fight he had ever experienced , before snapping the hooklink. He was convinced he had hooked a double figure tench and a probably record...until several days later he landed a 5.5lb male tench (still a big fish...) that still had his hook and hooklength trailing from it's tail 😁
 
Richard Isaacs said:
I had the same thing exactly happen to me.
It just kept slowly taking line one rotation of the pin at a time and I gave it absolutely everything but couldn’t turn it.
Got to 80 yards and i could see more arbor than I was comfortable with so I clamped down on the spool knowing the rod could definitely take it and sacrificed the hook link
Either huge barbel or a carp
I didn’t see it unfortunately but there was no landing it.
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Dark Carbon Specialist Float 12' 1.75 ( order only )

Dark Carbon Specialist Float 12' 1.75tc Available to order The Dark Carbon 12' 1.75tc Specialist float rod has a perfect medium action that
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Sounds like you guys may need this.
 
Jon Frisby said:
When float fishing, your far more likely to foul hook Barbel, as your baited hook is running through. The pectoral is a favourite followed by the dorsal and lastly the Tail. If you have unluckily tail hooked one, it will feel akin to a massive eel(catfish) and your in major trouble. I had a 13 plus tail hooked a couple of years ago, it was the most incredible fight I have ever had, expected when I saw the tail come out eventually.
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It happened to me last year where I hooked one through the tail. I don’t think it’s mistakable with hooking one in any other place. The hard thumps can be really felt through the rod when they swim off it’s quite bizarre feeling. I guess like you say a big eel almost.

Dorsals are a nightmare too especially when they sit nose pointed at the opposite bank and body right across the flow of the river.

I try not to make a habit of it obviously but I have pegged afew in the wrong place. Most times you can tell something isn’t right. The odd one has surprised me mind
 
Richard Isaacs said:
It happened to me last year where I hooked one through the tail. I don’t think it’s mistakable with hooking one in any other place. The hard thumps can be really felt through the rod when they swim off it’s quite bizarre feeling. I guess like you say a big eel almost.

Dorsals are a nightmare too especially when they sit nose pointed at the opposite bank and body right across the flow of the river.

I try not to make a habit of it obviously but I have pegged afew in the wrong place. Most times you can tell something isn’t right. The odd one has surprised me mind
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Over the years I've fould hooked them in just about every fin they have, even reeled one in hooked in it's eye socket, which was actually fine and did no damage as the bend of the hook went round and just lodged in place against the hard skull, so the point hadn't penetrated it at all.
I have found that a foul hooked fish very often runs downstream and keeps going, then when you do wear it out it usually floats to the surface and just lies there with the pressure of the river making it a nightmare to land them. I try to hand line them in in that situation as you could easily snap your rod.
Even a small foul hooked fish can make you belive you had a clonker on if it comes free of the hook without you having seen it.
 
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Jonathan cooper said:
Hi Alan,
I'm wondering if you (or anyone else on this thread) have any direct experience of the Specimen float versus the Acolyte Plus? I'm specifically targetting chub and barbel on larger rivers such as the Wye and Severn. I have a 13ft Plus which is a beautiful rod and delight to use but definitely undergunned for larger barbel in strong flow (as has been highlighted many times elsewhere on this forum). I plan to either upgrade this rod to a 14/15ft Specimen Float or look at other options but I don't want to upgrade to the Specimen if the step up from the Plus is marginal.
thanks, Jonathan
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I have both the Hi-S Power (14’) (new version) and the Drennan Acolyte Specimen again in 14’. I’ve also got the Drennan 14’ ultra and plus - so have had the chance to try them not just back to back - but on the same day both tackled up the same.

Preston Centris 320, 6lb main to 5lb hook length and size 14 Drennan specialist hook. 3AAA Drake Chubber.

Bottom line, they are both excellent at what they do. The Hi-S is heavier and slightly more forward biased than the Acolyte- but both handled big chub (5-6lb) with ease with plenty of power in reserve. One of the chub I had in the Hi-S buried itself in a snag and it took some serious pressure to free it- I have no doubt they would both do the same for larger barbel. More fundamentally both had sufficient sensitivity to be able mend line well while trotting and to land a lightly hooked fish in heavy flow (Upper Hampshire Avon). My next test will be to put them up against a Browning Sphere and see how they compare with what has been my go to rod for trotting for a few years.
 

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Brian Penfold said:
I have both the Hi-S Power (14’) (new version) and the Drennan Acolyte Specimen again in 14’. I’ve also got the Drennan 14’ ultra and plus - so have had the chance to try them not just back to back - but on the same day both tackled up the same.

Preston Centris 320, 6lb main to 5lb hook length and size 14 Drennan specialist hook. 3AAA Drake Chubber.

Bottom line, they are both excellent at what they do. The Hi-S is heavier and slightly more forward biased than the Acolyte- but both handled big chub (5-6lb) with ease with plenty of power in reserve. One of the chub I had in the Hi-S buried itself in a snag and it took some serious pressure to free it- I have no doubt they would both do the same for larger barbel. More fundamentally both had sufficient sensitivity to be able mend line well while trotting and to land a lightly hooked fish in heavy flow (Upper Hampshire Avon). My next test will be to put them up against a Browning Sphere and see how they compare with what has been my go to rod for trotting for a few years.
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I often use a 14ft browning sphere for my chub and barbel fishing. I've also used the 15 6 and 13 6 spliced models for the same purpose. Imo, the spheres are fantastic rods.
For me, the accy plus is a bit more powerful than them, so the specimen accy is without doubt more powerful.
I can't fault the sphere rods though, classy rods for sure!
 
Jon Frisby said:
When float fishing, your far more likely to foul hook Barbel, as your baited hook is running through. The pectoral is a favourite followed by the dorsal and lastly the Tail. If you have unluckily tail hooked one, it will feel akin to a massive eel(catfish) and your in major trouble. I had a 13 plus tail hooked a couple of years ago, it was the most incredible fight I have ever had, expected when I saw the tail come out eventually.
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Spot on Jon. I had a 12lber in the tail and took about 20 mins to land.

I did actually suspect it was foul hooked after 5 minutes.
 
So at this very moment in the shops today the Drennan Acolyte specimen in 14ft and 15ft, is holding the crown 👑. Is there anything else to match it?
 
Ian Woods said:
I often use a 14ft browning sphere for my chub and barbel fishing. I've also used the 15 6 and 13 6 spliced models for the same purpose. Imo, the spheres are fantastic rods.
For me, the accy plus is a bit more powerful than them, so the specimen accy is without doubt more powerful.
I can't fault the sphere rods though, classy rods for sure!
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I found my 15’ accy plus to be no more powerful or rigid than a lot of other standard fast action match rods. It’s certainly closer to a titan than an avenger. The 15’6 sphere has loads more in it than the plus

Speccy is in a different league of power again mind.
 
Jonathan cooper said:
Hi Alan,
I'm wondering if you (or anyone else on this thread) have any direct experience of the Specimen float versus the Acolyte Plus? I'm specifically targetting chub and barbel on larger rivers such as the Wye and Severn. I have a 13ft Plus which is a beautiful rod and delight to use but definitely undergunned for larger barbel in strong flow (as has been highlighted many times elsewhere on this forum). I plan to either upgrade this rod to a 14/15ft Specimen Float or look at other options but I don't want to upgrade to the Specimen if the step up from the Plus is marginal.
thanks, Jonathan
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Hi Jonathan,

My Acolytes are more on the niche side of the range (11' Carp Waggler, 17' Acolyte, and 13' Acolyte Specimen). I've caught barbel on a Maver Signature Pro which is similar to an Acolyte plus. Shifting a barbel off the bottom was not an easy job with that rod! Ian has caught loads of barbel with a plus, so he's the man to ask.
 
Richard Isaacs said:
I found my 15’ accy plus to be no more powerful or rigid than a lot of other standard fast action match rods. It’s certainly closer to a titan than an avenger. The 15’6 sphere has loads more in it than the plus

Speccy is in a different league of power again mind.
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I remember the browsing suggested the line rating of sphere is 1-4lb, shocking, I have no doubt it can handle 6lb+ line.
 
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