iain t
Well-known member
Bought some old floats at the Booty this morning. 2 of the floats are Drennan Drift Beaters. Same as in the picture below. Never used this style of float before. Do i just sink the body or sink to the boble at the top.
Drennan Dfift beater
- Thread starter iain t
- Start date
mikench
Well-known member
I sink mine to show at least an inch below the bobble! Mind you I cannot recall catching much using one!! A float is a visual aid to a bite; if you cannot see it it's a waste of time!
chrissh
Well-known member
iain t
Well-known member
Cheers. That explains it all
B
binka
Guest
Seeing as the OP appears to have his answer and as a bit of an aside, I would like to see this thread continue so...
I love Driftbeaters!
They're the saving grace of many a gravel pit and large water float fisherman.
I have some of the Premier Floats equivalents and those Drennan ones are actually part of their current range of floats.
It says a lot too, that people are still interested in challenging the conditions as opposed to just chucking out a lead and they inspired me to knock up some of my own...
It seems that, by pure coincidence of the usual shotting pattern, people often use them for the lift method in calmer conditions and why not?
But...
Do many people still chuck one out when it's blowing a hoolie and towing through like the tide's going out?
I do, often as a slider rig and I love it when it all comes together...
I love Driftbeaters!
They're the saving grace of many a gravel pit and large water float fisherman.
I have some of the Premier Floats equivalents and those Drennan ones are actually part of their current range of floats.
It says a lot too, that people are still interested in challenging the conditions as opposed to just chucking out a lead and they inspired me to knock up some of my own...
It seems that, by pure coincidence of the usual shotting pattern, people often use them for the lift method in calmer conditions and why not?
But...
Do many people still chuck one out when it's blowing a hoolie and towing through like the tide's going out?
I do, often as a slider rig and I love it when it all comes together...
markcw
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Mike , if you cannot the float, that means it has gone under and you have a bite …. :wh
Seeing as the OP appears to have his answer and as a bit of an aside, I would like to see this thread continue so...
I love Driftbeaters!
They're the saving grace of many a gravel pit and large water float fisherman.
I have some of the Premier Floats equivalents and those Drennan ones are actually part of their current range of floats.
It says a lot too, that people are still interested in challenging the conditions as opposed to just chucking out a lead and they inspired me to knock up some of my own...
It seems that, by pure coincidence of the usual shotting pattern, people often use them for the lift method in calmer conditions and why not?
But...
Do many people still chuck one out when it's blowing a hoolie and towing through like the tide's going out?
I do, often as a slider rig and I love it when it all comes together...
Steve
I really don't know how people can make floats like this. Works of art.
Tee-Cee
Senior Member
It could be said that what I am about to write might be considered old hat, but I doubt it...
The information I have dates back to 1977 when this particular float was in its development stage and is taken from an excellent little book entitled 'Successful Angling' Course fishing Tackle and methods put together by Richard Walker, Fred Taylor, Hugh Fulkus and Fred Buller.
It is my belief that the eventual 'Driftbeater' (originally named Windbeater) offered to the public was as a result of work done by Walker and Peter Drennan, BUT I may well be wrong on this.......
Pages 119 through 112 of this book is devoted to this particular float and offers the various ways in which it can be fished. Primarily it was designed as a float for lift bite fishing and particularly good in rough conditions. The most significant paragraph in the book, and I quote:
"The driftbeater float is comprised of a main body, an unusually long antenna and a buoyant sight-bulb which is one of the most important properties. As its name suggests the Windbeater will cope with rough conditions, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO ATTACH THE FLOAT, GUESS THE DEPTH AND LEAVE IT AT THAT! IT TAKES TIME, PATIENCE AND IMAGINATION TO RIG THE WINDBEATER CORRECTLY, BUT ONCE THIS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED THERE IS NO BETTER FLOAT FOR THIS PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
He )Walker) goes on to say "It works best with lines of about 3lb bs but, because of its special properties, the large Windbeater can be used comfortably with lines of 6lb bs".
The book goes on to offer further info on this float but this far too long to repeat here....
As I have already said, this float was designed primarily as a lift bite float and having used it on dozens of occasions I can vouch for the fact that seeing the long antenna rise up out of the water is a bit special. It DOES take an age to set up but once done a lovely float to use under given circumstances. Many will be put off by the fuffing around it takes to get the shotting right but is is well worth the effort!!
I would add that in addition to rising up out of the water, the float will also suddenly disappear without warning even when set up for the lift bite. Walker mentions this but offers no arguement as to why it happens. (Fish sucking in the bait and swimming off it one movement??)
The set of three original Driftbeater floats I have range from a very small one up to one of 21/2 swan shot which is the one I have always found the most useful. In strong wind and with the correct shotting it casts very well, BUT I, and this is personal preference, only use it close in, where I believe it works best......
I know binka has a beautiful range of these floats of his own design and just by sight I know they would also do a similar job to the originals in very difficult conditions. However, don't be put off by the 'difficult conditions' bit as they work a treat in still calm waters.
PLEASE NOTE!
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN HAVING A COPY OF WALKERS WORDS ON THIS FLOAT, FROM THIS LONG OUT OF PRINT BOOK, I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SEND/EMAIL ONE TO YOU IF YOU GET IN TOUCH.
ps I don't generally keep up with other publications so likely as not the above info (or similar) is probably available via other sources, but I have never seen it. Perhaps binka has seen something.
pps Regarding the amount of antenna protruding from the water; In very windy conditions I ALWAYS dot the float down to the sight bulb or even just part of it. However, it is my opinion (in benign conditions) this is not absolutely necessary as sufficient antenna is still available to rise up.
I also think some of binka's floats (with a very, very long antenna) would add stability to the float in very rough water where the main body would be well below the surface and consequently even more stable and unaffected by water movement. Only my opinion, though....................
The information I have dates back to 1977 when this particular float was in its development stage and is taken from an excellent little book entitled 'Successful Angling' Course fishing Tackle and methods put together by Richard Walker, Fred Taylor, Hugh Fulkus and Fred Buller.
It is my belief that the eventual 'Driftbeater' (originally named Windbeater) offered to the public was as a result of work done by Walker and Peter Drennan, BUT I may well be wrong on this.......
Pages 119 through 112 of this book is devoted to this particular float and offers the various ways in which it can be fished. Primarily it was designed as a float for lift bite fishing and particularly good in rough conditions. The most significant paragraph in the book, and I quote:
"The driftbeater float is comprised of a main body, an unusually long antenna and a buoyant sight-bulb which is one of the most important properties. As its name suggests the Windbeater will cope with rough conditions, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO ATTACH THE FLOAT, GUESS THE DEPTH AND LEAVE IT AT THAT! IT TAKES TIME, PATIENCE AND IMAGINATION TO RIG THE WINDBEATER CORRECTLY, BUT ONCE THIS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED THERE IS NO BETTER FLOAT FOR THIS PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
He )Walker) goes on to say "It works best with lines of about 3lb bs but, because of its special properties, the large Windbeater can be used comfortably with lines of 6lb bs".
The book goes on to offer further info on this float but this far too long to repeat here....
As I have already said, this float was designed primarily as a lift bite float and having used it on dozens of occasions I can vouch for the fact that seeing the long antenna rise up out of the water is a bit special. It DOES take an age to set up but once done a lovely float to use under given circumstances. Many will be put off by the fuffing around it takes to get the shotting right but is is well worth the effort!!
I would add that in addition to rising up out of the water, the float will also suddenly disappear without warning even when set up for the lift bite. Walker mentions this but offers no arguement as to why it happens. (Fish sucking in the bait and swimming off it one movement??)
The set of three original Driftbeater floats I have range from a very small one up to one of 21/2 swan shot which is the one I have always found the most useful. In strong wind and with the correct shotting it casts very well, BUT I, and this is personal preference, only use it close in, where I believe it works best......
I know binka has a beautiful range of these floats of his own design and just by sight I know they would also do a similar job to the originals in very difficult conditions. However, don't be put off by the 'difficult conditions' bit as they work a treat in still calm waters.
PLEASE NOTE!
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN HAVING A COPY OF WALKERS WORDS ON THIS FLOAT, FROM THIS LONG OUT OF PRINT BOOK, I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SEND/EMAIL ONE TO YOU IF YOU GET IN TOUCH.
ps I don't generally keep up with other publications so likely as not the above info (or similar) is probably available via other sources, but I have never seen it. Perhaps binka has seen something.
pps Regarding the amount of antenna protruding from the water; In very windy conditions I ALWAYS dot the float down to the sight bulb or even just part of it. However, it is my opinion (in benign conditions) this is not absolutely necessary as sufficient antenna is still available to rise up.
I also think some of binka's floats (with a very, very long antenna) would add stability to the float in very rough water where the main body would be well below the surface and consequently even more stable and unaffected by water movement. Only my opinion, though....................
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iain t
Well-known member
Tee-Cee you have a message.
Tee-Cee
Senior Member
Information on the Driftbeater sent off to those who have requested it....
Regards
Tee-Cee
Regards
Tee-Cee
Mark Wintle
Well-known member
I'm pretty sure Peter Drennan and Peter Stone developed the windbeater to fish for tench and decent roach on an Oxfordshire gravel pit in 1969 but similar floats with sight bobs were around before then - reference Gravel Pit Angling by Peter Stone.
It's not a float I ever found especially useful and I have found various big insert peacock quill floats able to do the same job.
It's not a float I ever found especially useful and I have found various big insert peacock quill floats able to do the same job.
Tee-Cee
Senior Member
I took the opportunity to check Peter Stone's book Gravel Pit Angling, and on page 32 he says:
"Firstly then, the Windbeater. This very fine stillwater float was bought to my notice by Bill Watson of Hull who made some for Fred Taylor and **** Walker for fishing at night in a Lincolnshire lake. Later, Fred Towns and Peter Drennan made some and I immediately realised what a wonderful float the Windbeater is"
Having read on, I noticed Peter Stone's shotting pattern is entirely different to that shown by Walker in the book I quoted from, but they both make the float work as a lifter so, as with everything angling 'more than one way to swing a cat' !!
I cannot find any mention of specific dates but if you, Mark, are sure of you're dates then that's fine with me.
ps If anyone is interested in Stone's alternative shotting pattern I can jot it down.....
"Firstly then, the Windbeater. This very fine stillwater float was bought to my notice by Bill Watson of Hull who made some for Fred Taylor and **** Walker for fishing at night in a Lincolnshire lake. Later, Fred Towns and Peter Drennan made some and I immediately realised what a wonderful float the Windbeater is"
Having read on, I noticed Peter Stone's shotting pattern is entirely different to that shown by Walker in the book I quoted from, but they both make the float work as a lifter so, as with everything angling 'more than one way to swing a cat' !!
I cannot find any mention of specific dates but if you, Mark, are sure of you're dates then that's fine with me.
ps If anyone is interested in Stone's alternative shotting pattern I can jot it down.....
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B
binka
Guest
I don't know if it's the extreme conditions I use my Driftbeaters in but something like a big insert peacock would be hopeless by comparison, not only for the lack of shot carrying capacity (assuming you mean straight peacock as you didn't mention bodied) but also the thin tip that would be barely visible in the chop which some of my waters are prone to and the thicker stem which gets affected by the tow much more.
I made some abnormally long straight wagglers some time ago which I posted somewhere on here but I found that they were nowhere near as effective as the Driftbeater.
I am talking extremes here and I've always seen the Driftbeater as an extreme type of float and one which comes into its own when all other hopes of floatfishing have gone out of the window with the conditions...
iain t
Well-known member
Thanks for the email Tee-Cee.
thecrow
Well-known member
I don't know if it's the extreme conditions I use my Driftbeaters in but something like a big insert peacock would be hopeless by comparison, not only for the lack of shot carrying capacity (assuming you mean straight peacock as you didn't mention bodied) but also the thin tip that would be barely visible in the chop which some of my waters are prone to and the thicker stem which gets affected by the tow much more.
I made some abnormally long straight wagglers some time ago which I posted somewhere on here but I found that they were nowhere near as effective as the Driftbeater.
I am talking extremes here and I've always seen the Driftbeater as an extreme type of float and one which comes into its own when all other hopes of floatfishing have gone out of the window with the conditions...
You must have a bite as I cant see your float
I don't know if it's the extreme conditions I use my Driftbeaters in but something like a big insert peacock would be hopeless by comparison, not only for the lack of shot carrying capacity (assuming you mean straight peacock as you didn't mention bodied) but also the thin tip that would be barely visible in the chop which some of my waters are prone to and the thicker stem which gets affected by the tow much more.
I made some abnormally long straight wagglers some time ago which I posted somewhere on here but I found that they were nowhere near as effective as the Driftbeater.
I am talking extremes here and I've always seen the Driftbeater as an extreme type of float and one which comes into its own when all other hopes of floatfishing have gone out of the window with the conditions...
Excuse my ignorance Steve but are you fishing big shot on the deck for lift bites,or are you using the driftbeater to stop 'drift',if the latter it's more about the shotting,unless your driftbeaters are 15" long? Imo.
Tee-Cee
Senior Member
For what it's worth, this is Peter Stones's shotting pattern from his book:
"The shotting pattern is important. One big shot goes immediately below the float and one AAA about 15" above the hook, with the rest of the shot bunched about 12" above that. A BB shot is then pinched on about 3" from the hook. This shot is VERY important and at all times must be resting on the bottom.
For fishing at nightwith a light, a white or orange sight bob shows up best. The antenna should have inch long black and white which indicate-with a 'lift' bite-exactly how much of the float is lifting.
.....................
.....................
At all times a Windbeater must be shotted so only the sight bob shows above the surface" End of quote.
ps Can someone tell me what today's equivalent shot size is for the old AAA and BB, please!!
Peter Stone was a pretty good angler and very thorough in all he did around fishing, so I doubt he would suggest this shotting pattern without being sure it worked 100%........................NOT definitive by any means but worth considering if you are using this float for the first time.
Others will have an opinion on this so perhaps it will keep the thread going, whcih can only be a good thing, imho
"The shotting pattern is important. One big shot goes immediately below the float and one AAA about 15" above the hook, with the rest of the shot bunched about 12" above that. A BB shot is then pinched on about 3" from the hook. This shot is VERY important and at all times must be resting on the bottom.
For fishing at nightwith a light, a white or orange sight bob shows up best. The antenna should have inch long black and white which indicate-with a 'lift' bite-exactly how much of the float is lifting.
.....................
.....................
At all times a Windbeater must be shotted so only the sight bob shows above the surface" End of quote.
ps Can someone tell me what today's equivalent shot size is for the old AAA and BB, please!!
Peter Stone was a pretty good angler and very thorough in all he did around fishing, so I doubt he would suggest this shotting pattern without being sure it worked 100%........................NOT definitive by any means but worth considering if you are using this float for the first time.
Others will have an opinion on this so perhaps it will keep the thread going, whcih can only be a good thing, imho
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thecrow
Well-known member
Don't want to be picky but there is no mention of how the float I locked, shot, float stop?
Keith M
Well-known member
Old AAA and BB sizes???
These so called old shot sizes are still in common use today amongst running line float anglers (and on their floats), and I’m hoping that they will still be being used for many years to come (apart from the pole anglers of course
).Keith
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