"Compact float reel"

[Richox12]

I just really dont get along with it. They made the handle too thin that it flexes under pressure, the bale arm only flicks over when you turn the handle in a small range of the full rotation so it forever jams & you have to manually flip it, the line lay is average at best, it wobbles on a fast retrieve, there is too much play in the gears when its in anti-reverse, the shape is wrong (for me) and is too dumpy while still sitting quite high off the rod, the clutch is nothing special, the line clip is naff and last but not least, I don’t like the colour.

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So, in a nutshell, you hated the look, shape & colour of the reel so much you bought it !!

 

[iain t]

When i owned a Drennan Acolyte Ultra 13ft Float rod, i used it with a Drennan FD30 and a Greys GFS30. Both balanced nicely but i did prefer the FD30 more as i was a tad smoother and had a more expensive feel compared to the GFS30. When windy i would use my ABU 505 closed face. So the choice is yours.

I see on this thread people don't seem to like the FD30 but ive owned 2 plus an FD40 since they hit the shelves and have never had any problems. No wobbles, good layline and they still look good. The FD40 i use for feeder work and the drag has been excellent, much better than the GFS one.

 

[Philip]

So, in a nutshell, you hated the look, shape & colour of the reel so much you bought it !!

Yes, silly as it seems I did. My excuse being it was one of the few times I was talked into it by a tackle dealer. Basically I was in the market for a float reel, it coincided with Drennan brining it out, throw in a street wise tackle dealer and me in a rush and I ended up with a reel I don’t like.

I was more disappointed with Drennan than anything as my experience of their products has generally been good so I was sort of almost expecting them to get it right. It dented my confidence in them somewhat.

 

[flightliner]

Why not try an old mitchell match , super reel for a float rod, had mine forty three years now, other than paint wear it's as good as the day I bought it.