What I can gather living in oxford is drennan have had quite a few quality control/poor design issues on there latest ranges of kit. that's not just acolyte float rods. I own 8 acolyte float rods(not carp) and love them to bits and use them a lot and test them to there limits and so do my mates on the match circuit.
One thing is very clear though, they do randomly break very easily. The majority on the tip section for no apparent reason and the middle section under maximum compression. last week I snapped a 15ft plus clean in half and the tip section and half the middle section shot across the river, luckily the line didn't break. this happened when casting at full force with 4lb line and a 6gram waggler. I would say I was testing the rod to its limits when I cast and it didn't handle it simple as that.... drennan replaced the section FOC. I also snapped a 17ft clean in half landing a good fish and the rod was under full compression but I wouldn't say it was to its limit so that was a surprise.
so regardless of what other people say its not just down to bad handling there are acolyte rods out there waiting to break and its not just rumour its common knowledge on the match circuit.
When my tip decided to break for no apparent reason; while threading line through its rings; it’s warranty had expired and Drennan wouldn’t replace it free of charge, and it cost me £60 for a replacement tip.
But even if it was unknowingly damaged in normal use, it shouldn’t have broken quite so easily. I’m sure that the tolerances have dropped just a little too much in the interests of producing an ultra featherweight fishing tool, and you shouldn’t have to be scared of breathing on a rod too hard, and having to treat it like an egg shell.
Their other models are fine and Drennan rods are still one of the better rod producers out there, but I feel the Ultra was just tipping the scales just a little too far over the edge.
I would still choose to buy Drennan rods as they have always produced top quality rods; and I have several Drennan rods myself that I love using; but I will still be a little more wary of buying one of their ‘ultra’ fine rods in future (once bitten and all that).
NB: My replacement tip section has a couple of thin lines painted around it near the joint which the old one did not have, and I’m wondering if these marks signify that its a slightly improved tip section. And I suspect that they’ve fixed the problems with their latest ‘Ultra’ float rods.
Keith
mg:. I was told about these rods but still went ahead and purchased just over a year ago. 
