Today is the glorious 16th of June and that means one very important thing to us anglers – it’s the start of the river season! 
Here’s our guide to some great items of gear to help you make the most of those hungry shoals of roach, dace, chub, bream and barbel!
Float connoisseurs will really appreciate the ultra lightweight blank and crisp action of the latest 15ft Acolyte Ultra. This rod has everything you need for supreme float control, whether it’s a big Avon float trotted down a deep mid-river glide or a tiny stick float run off the end of the rod tip. It will handle the finest of hooklengths when after fickle roach, but is equally at home subduing bigger fish like chub.
Click here for the full list of Drennan float rods.
The 12ft Matchpro Medium Feeder folds away conveniently into two and is the ideal all-round choice for rivers. Being 12ft allows you to keep plenty of line out of the water, which can be vital for helping you to hold a feeder in position in the flow. It also comes with no fewer than four interchangeable tips for perfect sensitivity and bite detection; 1.5oz and 2oz glass versions and 2.5oz and 3oz carbon. Perfect for exploiting those chub and bream shoals!
Click here to see the entire range of feeder rods.
3: Go Oval
The flat base and low profile of our Oval Feeders ensures they hold their position in the flow extremely effectively. If you are feeding maggots, look no further than the Oval Blockend, while groundbait and particles are best plugged inside an Oval Groundbait Feeder. For an even faster release, opt for the Oval Cage. All of these feeders come in a range of sizes and with a choice of weights, including Heavyweight versions up to 60-70g for extra bottom-hugging power!
Check out our comprehensive range of Drennan feeders.
Float fishing is arguably one of the most rewarding ways to extract a net of roach, dace and chub and controlling a top-and-bottom float down the river also takes some beating. For slower flows and steadier glides a traditional Stick Float is the number one choice, switching to a shouldered Alloy Stick for extra stability. Deeper swims are best tackled with a Big Stick or Wire Avon. Shallow, streamy and turbulent swims and/or bigger baits calls for a chunky Drennan Loafer.
Click here for our complete running water float collection.
The shape of the Drennan G-Tip 2 is absolutely perfect for coping with a wide range of depths and flows. Combine that with a light carbon stem and a highly visible Glow Tip in a sensible diameter that increases with float size and you have all the properties you need in a river pole float!
The G-Tip 2 is also available from 0.25g right up to 2g sizes, which should hopefully deal with almost every situation you will encounter this summer.
The right hook should never be overlooked. After all, it is this vital piece of tackle that ultimately connects you to the fish! For general float fishing for roach and dace, look no further than the medium-wire Carbon Match, stepping up to a thicker gauge Wide Gape Match or Wide Gape if specifically targeting more quality fish like chub.
For feeder work, the aptly named Carbon Feeder takes some beating for bream, chub, perch, eels… you name it! If you need even more power than this, switch to the ever reliable Super Spade.
If you are after a reliable eyed pattern then the Wide Gape Specialist is a great choice and will also work well with hair-rigged baits like halibut pellets. For out-and-out big fish work and those tricky barbel swims, you’ll struggle to find a better hook than the Super Specialist!
7: A Fine Line
Drennan Supplex is a truly versatile line that has the right blend of strength, abrasion resistance and suppleness. That means it is equally at home on the reel as it is as a hooklength material. Spooling up with 3lb (0.14mm) Supplex will help you gain maximum control over a delicately presented float in all conditions. If you are after chub and better fish on the float, step up to 4lb or 5lb (0.16mm to 0.18mm) reel lines for extra durability.
When it comes to feeder fishing, our new Feeder & Method Mono takes some beating. This stuff will easily take the abuse of repeatedly casting out heavy feeders… and hopefully winching in those bream, chub and barbel! Use 6lb for general use and ‘match-sized’ fish but step up to 8lb, 10lb or even 12lb for specimen fish and the heaviest of feeders.
Click here for the complete selection of coarse fishing lines.
8: Reel Appeal
FD 3000 and FD 4000 reels have to be some of the very best reels in their price bracket and are perfect for general float and feeder work. These front-drag models ooze class! Each comes with three spools, which are specially designed to take 100 metres of your chosen diameter of line to ensure perfect line lay.
For heavier lines and demanding feeder situations, try the larger Series 7 Carp Feeder 9-45 RD or its bigger brother the Big Feeder 9-50 RD. Both are rear drag models that also come with a total of three spools. They also boast eight bearings and a one-way clutch bearing for sturdy and reliable winding power.
You will struggle to find a better catapult than a Revolution Tangle Free Caty for spraying your maggots, casters and hemp! This family of four catapults will cover everything you need, but we reckon the Green is the ideal choice for all-round river usage, dropping down to the smaller-framed Red model for close-in work. The ergonomic handle ensures they are easy to grip while the new design of ‘cluster feed’ pouch won’t let you down.
Check out the full Drennan catapult range here.
That’s our rundown of just some of the brilliant items of Drennan tackle you should be looking at. Happy river fishing!