Drennan Loafer Floats

Peter Drennan and his design team have been developing and manufacturing some of the finest floats for rod and line work available to today’s angler. The simplicity and reliability of Drennans floats have made them an integral part of virtually every anglers tackle selection for well over 2 decades now and although many have tried, none have match the all round quality and usability of this exceptional range of floats.   No matter what your favourite style of angling may be, there will be a float pattern that will fit the bill perfectly.   

One such pattern that has dominated moving water approaches for years now is the Drennan Loafer Float. These ultra buoyant hollow bodied floats make it possible to present your bait correctly in virtually any water conditions (heavy floods conditions excluded).The Loafer is manufactured using perfectly clear plastic which makes it the ideal float for presenting baits on shallow clear runs, this clear body design virtually eliminating any chance of spooking even the most cautious of fish.

Set Up Option

You have two commonly used presentation options when fishing the Loafer Float. First up is the traditional “Stick Float” presentation, which is achieved by attaching the float to your reel line by using float rubbers at the top and base of the float. If shot correctly the “Stick Float” set up cuts down on the resistance felt by a taking fish, making the loafer a very sensitive float that will register even the shyest of bites from the most cautious of fish.

There are two widely used and recognised shotting options that should be considered when fishing “Stick Float” style. You have “Shirt Button Shotting” which is achieved by attaching your smallest shot about 8 – 12 inches above your hook say a No1. Then place your remaining shot at regular intervals on the line ensuring that the shot size increase the further away from the float you go. This enables the hook bait to fall through the water column far more naturally and is best suited to slow to medium paced water of no more than 5 feet in depth.

When fishing in depth in excess of 6 feet or more on fast flowing big rivers the widely used shotting pattern is to use a “bulk” of shot made up of BB, AAA or when using really big Loafers SSG shot about 12 – 16 inches from the hook with a No.4 or 6 drop shot. This bulk serves as a means of getting and keeping your bait in the catch zone near the bed of the river, giving you superb control and presentation at all times. This bulk also serves another important task by assists when you have to cast longer distances to find your quarry.

Alternatively you can choose the second option which is “The Waggler” set up. This is created by simply attaching the float by passing your reel line through the plastic eye at the base of the float or by using a swivelled float adaptor and loading the bulk of the required shot either side of the float. When shotting the Loafer for this set up, always make sure that you take into consideration you will need a couple of dropper shot closer to the hook so don’t place all your shot as bulk around the base of the float otherwise your hook bait will act erratically in the water column.

TOP TIP – The Drennan Loafer Float acts as a superb option when fishing for big Perch and Chub on moving water when using small livebaits.

Final Thoughts

The Drennan Loafer has been around for year and until I’m proven wrong there is not a float that will take its place for some time. This is one of those very simple yet brilliant float designs to come out of the Drennan stable that all comers will find hard to better. When fishing moving water and control, sensitivity and performance are paramount, there really isn’t another float for this type of angling situations that I would personally choose.

The Loafer is available in 2.4g, 3.2g, 4g, 6.4g & 8g sizes with bright yellow or red tip options and sells for only £1.10 each.

“A superb all round moving water float”