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How to Elasticate a Fishing Pole

The best thing is to find a right elastic for the fishing that you are doing and catch plenty of fish on it.

The line is attached to the end of elastic, placed inside the pole tip and runs inside of the top few section of pole. The elastic is used to assist in fighting fish; it relieves tension from the line when the fish is on the hook. Using elastic in the pole tip helps to keep a tight line between the fish and pole tip. It is very important correctly elasticate your pole, so elastic will act as a shock absorber. Poles do not come ready elasticated.

There are several different kinds of elastics you can use.

Solid elastics.

They are available in sizes from # 1 to # 25. The basic rules for solid elastic is the bigger the fish, the heavier the elastic, but big fish can still be landed on light elastics. Many anglers still favor solid elastics for all kinds of fishing. Solid elastic is excellent for 'small fish' on rivers, streams, canals, lakes, and ponds, where anything from a number 2 to 6 is required. In the very light sizes, 2 and 3, you usually thread the elastic though the top two sections of a match kit, but to thread elastics through a full match top three sections has some benefits, you got more chances to land a larger fish.

Latex

Latex is basically raw solid elastic, in a very natural form, with no preservatives added to it. It has a little more stretch in it than normal solid elastic and available from the lightest # 1 up to # 20. Latex offers a much smoother and more forgiving action than solid elastic, but doesn't stretch as far as hollow elastic. It used in the sizes between 5 and 10 for small carp or some anglers uses it for carp of all sizes. The softness means it's great for hooking carp, as they will swim straight out of the swim, but you then have the advantages of solid elastic when you need to get their heads up at the net.

Hydro-elastic

Hydro-elastic was the turning point in pole elastics, and started a new revolution with pole fishing. It available in sizes: 5-8(Blue), 6-10(white), 10-14(grey), 12-16(black), 16-20(red), and 20+++(brown). Hydro elastic is made up of hollow elastic that is soft and very forgiving. There is a really natural soft inner core, which is hollowed out and has liquid lubricant inside that helps the elastic to retract back into the pole, and aids you when playing fish ads you can 'pump' the elastic to help it retract, and gives a generally smooth, controllable fish playing action to the elastic. Another big feature of hydro elastic is its strength and its life span. It is incredibly hard to actually break any size of hydro with your hands, and it last absolutely ages. Hydro has been used on all venues, but it is really suited to commercials. The lighter blue and white sizes are ideal for small carp; you can land just about anything on white hydro! The grey has a brilliant reputation for shallow fishing for all sizes of carp. Black hydro is well suited to bigger fish, 5lb and above, as well as margin fishing, and can help you land fish quicker when they're really having it! The red hydro for a big fish, lumps, margin fishing, getting them out fast. Brown hydro, 20+++ is used extensively by bungee jumpers, hard fighting, big fish, snags.

Hollow elastics

These don't contain the liquid solution like that of hydro, but they do offer very similar advantages. There is a light 5-8 size, which is great for general all round fishing, where you're expecting a mixed catch, small carp, skimmers, silvers etc. It's great for maggot and chopped worm fishing, as you can land everything you hook thanks to the mega stretch in the elastic. These lighter sizes are also favorable for winter carp fishing, as they allow you to land large carp. Then there's a slightly heavier 8-12 size, which is very good for small carp. There's a heavier 12-16 size, suited to average carp fishing.
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Elasticating your pole

FITTING THE BUSH
Usually you fit elastics # 2 - 6 through the top two sections, and bigger elastics through the top three.

1. Choose your elastic and check you have a bush it easily slides through.
2. Cut the pole back by rolling a Stanley knife over it until the bush fits snuggly over the tip of the pole. Take your time and get it right.
3. Clear your tears after the cutting; gently clean out the end and then check the elastic slides through.
4. Now smooth off the tip with fine sandpaper or a file.
5. Fit the bush on the newly trimmed and smoothed end. It should be a snug fit. The rough edge will help the glue hold the bush securely.
6. Wipe off any excess glue and leave to dry.

THREADING THE ELASTIC
The reason for doubling up the elastic for the few inches above the bung is that if you hook a big fish which charges off and bottoms out the No3 elastic, you have a short length of doubled-up No3 - effectively a No6 - to act as a buffer and hopefully stop the fish before it breaks your line! Use a diamond eye threader or a length of strong line.

1. Push the sections into each other and push the threader through.
2. When it appears, hold, and push the telescopic sections out until they lock.
3. Lock the elastic into the 'diamond eye' of the threader.
4. Now pull the threader through your pole top sections.
5. Pull through until you draw the bung into the pole. Just push the bung in gently until it won't go further.

FITTING THE BUNG
Bung cuts out the need for a tag end of line at the bottom because it comes with a special attachment to remove the bung and there's also an invaluable fitting to allow you to alter the tension. If you set the elastic up too tight you can release a turn or two, and if it's too loose you can wind another turn on.

1. Pick a suitable bung and mark where it jams in the section.
2. Now cut off just below this mark so the bung will fit inside the pole.
3. Take your elastic and attach the bung with a double overhand loop.
4. Double up the elastic for about eight inches above the bung.
5. Dampen the knot, tighten it, and then trim off the loose end.
6. With this bung I now wind on about three turns of elastic. With many bungs you will need to attach a length of thick line below.

FITTING THE CONNECTOR
The hardest bit is to get the elastic 'just right', so that the connector slowly slides back into the pole. It's all too easy to set it so that it snaps' back too hard (in which case you may bump off small fish) or hangs out the end (in which case line will tangle around it when fishing. One of the keys is to fully stretch the elastic that will be in the pole before you actually attach the connector.

1. Stretch the elastic to ensure the bung is set correctly inside the section.
2. If you are using a standard bung, now's the time to snip off the tag end.
3. With the elastic slack, snip off about five inches above the bush.
4. Thread on the stonfo's collar and then the connector itself.
5. Stretch the elastic about three inches and slide the connector to the tip.
6. The stonfo should be tied on under tight elastic. A single overhand loop is all you need. Keeping everything tight... Now push the collar up, lock in place, and trim the loose end.
7. In theory the stonfo should gently slide, not snap, back to the tip.