Here are 10 great things to try over the Christmas holidays.

1. Stay Warm

You cannot fish effectively if you are cold and uncomfortable, so the first job has to be wrapping up nice and warm! The Drennan Wind Beater Fleece is the perfect garment to be seen in. Not only does it look great, it will keep you toasty and warm as well. Fleece micro layers and a breathable and showerproof laminate keep the elements at bay. It  performs equally well by itself or as a base layer beneath a Drennan Jacket or the new Wind Beater Jacket.

2. Set Up Quicker

Two-piece rods are all the rage for their convenience and ease of setting up, but this concept only really works with rods of 12ft or shorter. It is more difficult to fold a 13ft rod into two equal-length sections that are still manageable. This is where the latest Compact Acolyte Ultra 13ft and Compact Acolyte Plus 13ft come in. A patented system allows them to fold down into two equal-length sections plus a short, screw-in handle. Each rod also comes with a special padded sleeve for carrying to the bankside made up, so you can be ready and fishing in seconds.

3. Go Dropshotting

This is the perfect time of year for a spot of short session perch fishing on your local canal, lake or river. Dropshotting and other forms of soft lure fishing are all the rage, as it is such a simple and effective way to fish. With a minimal amount of gear you can be battling with perch and other predators in no time. The E-Sox Dropshot range includes rods, hooks, bomb weights, line and lures. It’s practically everything you could need to get started, so go out and give it a go!

4. Take Up Pole Fishing

The latest Red Range Carp Zone 1250 is an ideal choice for anyone wishing to get into pole fishing. For less than £300 you can have a quality 12.5m pole that performs equally well for carp, F1s and silverfish. It comes with a great extras package plus a total of four Carp Kits, each pre-fitted with Side Pull Slots. This means you can take full advantage of the revolutionary Side Pull System, which allows you to land fish of all sizes with ease.

5. Get Riggy 

AS Pole Rigs have been designed to cover up to 90% of pole fishing situations on commercial fisheries. They are constructed to the exacting specifications of five times World Champion Alan Scotthorne and feature quality components throughout. There are four in the series, but we think the AS3 Pole Rig will be the most popular at this time of year. It features a size 18 Silverfish Maggot hook to a 0.117mm (2.5lb) hooklength, ensuring it is fine enough to tempt bites from wary silverfish and F1s, while still offering a degree of strength should a bonus carp come along. Match it with our lightest Aqua F1 & Silverfish Bungee and you have the perfect combo!

6. Spool Up

The holidays are the perfect time to think about changing your reel lines. If you like your float fishing (who doesn’t?) then take a serious look at our new Float Fish mono. Just like the original classic, it is a hard line that resists shot damage, floats well and is very hardwearing. However, it now has even greater knot strength. The 100m spools are in breaking strains from 2.6lb (0.14mm) up to 6lb (0.22mm) to cover almost every kind of float fishing situation, so get spooling up!

7. Bag Up On Bread

Fishing with punched bread really comes into its own in the winter months, so a set of quality Brass Head Bread Punches is a must-have accessory. These are available in two sizes: Small (2.5mm to 7mm), which are ideal for small to medium sized fish, and Large (7.5mm to 10mm), which are perfect for quality fish such as chub, carp and bream.

8. Get An Edge

Unless there is heavy rain you can expect the water clarity to really increase in the wintertime. Bites will also be much shyer, and this is where the latest Insert Crystals really score. The transparent bodies ensure the floats are as discrete as possible while the sensitive inserts will help to register tentative bites. Available in two thicknesses and also in loaded and unloaded versions, to cover a multitude of float fishing situations.

9. Shelter In Style

Anglers serious about their fishing should invest in a quality umbrella. The Drennan Umbrella is available in two sizes (44in and 50in) and is packed full of features. The extra-strong and extra-long adjustable spike can be pushed deep into the ground yet still allows plenty of height for you to sit under. A clever shallow spoke canopy provides maximum head clearance and the robust PU-coated outer material offers maximum shelter. It also has a three-position angle tilt and comes with useful fastening rings, ground pegs and an adjustable cord.

10. Pop It Up

Carp can still be caught in the cold, but they typically shoal up tightly in the deeper areas of a lake. Their senses also lessen in cold water, which is why a highly attractive single hook bait suspended off the bottom can work so well. Drennan Pop Ups are ultra-vivid, highly buoyant and with a distinct Fruity Fish flavour. These really could be the key to unlocking your local carp water this winter!