Knowing Which Elastics to Use
For what is an essential but simple part of pole fishing it is yet one of the most confusing in the modern world, so how do we choose the right elastic?
In today's market there are so many brands to choose from especially when it comes to hollows, you get the great debates at least once a week on the likes of Facebook but is there really such a difference between brands? There also only a few companies in the world that produce elastics for all tackle companies so when people say one is different to the next that might not necessarily be true if they are produced in the same factories. Well hopefully this article will give you a better understanding of how elastics are produced and how best to choose the right one for your fishing.
How is elastic made? Elastics are all made from rubber latex which comes from the rubber tree, there are 2 derivatives (natural & synthetic), all elastics are made from 100% natural latex which offers the best stretch properties, the natural colour is of a milk colour which is what we normally see in most natural solid latex elastic, the coloured versions are the same material impregnated with fluorescent/coloured pigments.
Solid Elastics: The original and still very useful elastic, this is made so that it comes out with the same uniformed external diameter, in a wide range of sizes from a No1 right up to 25+. A firm favourite among anglers who fish natural waters or those who target silvers all year round; don;t think they have disappeared for commercial carping though they are great in the margins in the larger sizes as they offer quicker control than a hollow and if balanced correctly can be you will prevent hook pulls. To me it makes more sense to use a solid in this situation as it offers several advantages over Hollows:
- It's much more durable against snags such as reeds
- It's much cheaper than hollow elastics so if you do get snapped or the elastic gets damaged then it's not such a huge hit
- You generally get 5/6m on a spool so you will comfortably get 2 topkits elasticated also saving money further
Natural Latex Elastics: Again usually comes in the same diameters as solid elastic but it does have a slightly different action to normal solids, as there is no colour pigmentation natural latex tends to have more forgiveness on the strike which prevents bumping fish, a great choice for winter commercials and naturals alike. Natural latex does have a downside, because it's the same colour for each grade you need to use a marking system to label up your kits so you know which is which.
Hollow Elastics: Over 10 years ago we saw the introduction of the first in a new type of elastic released by Daiwa and probably the most used throughout the UK 'Hydrolastic', it changed pole fishing dramatically and definitely for the better. It is again made from 100% pure natural latex but instead of the solid structure like the first 2 mentioned elastics, this is made using 2 layers with a central hole; the reason for this was to produce an elastic that was much softer on the strike but then powered up when a fish decided to lunge or make those powerful runs. The action is completely different from a solid elastic so most tackle companies who now sell there own range have refined what is best for today's angling, so we generally only see several sizes of hollow elastics as rather than a single rating these offer a range of ratings; meaning for example a 6-8 the elastic is soft enough on the strike like a no 6 but when it powers up offers a higher power rating of an equivalent to a number 8. Most hollows if you look at the specifications on most manufacturers websites they say they have a stretch rating of between 700 & 800% this means for every 1ft of untensioned elastic it will stretch between 7 & 8.5 times, this is why its so good as it offers the softness but when teemed with a puller you can reduce the stretch and increasing the tension making landing fish quicker. For most a hollow offers that much versatility it is more commonly seen through the coarse scene than solids, this is not to say it will cover all situations as a solid still performs best when targeting silvers, on natural waters and still performs better in cold temperatures over hollows, but on the flip side its much more durable than a solid so this adds appeal to us all. A downside to hollows is the price, they are much more expensive than a solid and it can cost several hundreds of pounds each season especially if you have plenty of topkits.
Longevity: One thing that is becoming more common in social chat groups is the longevity or durability of elastics, we all have our opinions on which are best but like I said before they are all made of the same material, they are all made in the same way and produced in very few factories, so is there a really a difference between them? My guess is no, yes I admit there could be a bad batch among different brands which where produced at the same time but I believe the angler is partly at fault and I have been myself too so we are guilty. The biggest aid to an elastic is what we can do to look after our tackle, this won't obviously appeal to many but others it might just save you a fair few quid each season.
Setting up You Kits
Internal Vs External: For many years we all had external bushes fitted to our topkits, they were easy to fit and widely available, but since Internal bushes came along these have become less popular, even topkits that are supplied now by many manufacturers such as Browning, Preston & MAP all supply there kits pre-bushed and come with internal bushes fitted. It baffles me as to why companies are still spending money on producing external bushes as they are nowhere near as effective as an internal, internals are so much neater where they reduce tangles, they provide a guide in the tip section admittedly only small (Drennan are longest) where it keeps the elastic central, I'm not too sure if it was Browning or MAP who came up with an ingenious idea to produce several sizes of topkit each the same length but offering different sized bores in the tips, this mean't no more cutting back losing carbon and length and again I don't know why some companies are still producing kits the old way.
Dacron Vs PTFE Connector: Again another area that has been developed over the years is the connection system, we all had standard PTFE connectors on our kits, again these became bulky and added weight when you went up elastic sizes, and again when incorporated with a power kit; since then the dacron connector is now the common way to go for attaching to your elastic. The dacron offers neatness, it is lighter but most importantly it give you that stiff standoff to keep you line away from your tip to prevent tangles, these can be shop bought by all the major manufacturers or you can tailor make them to how you find best, regardless of how or which you choose they all do the same job and which you prefer or suit is all that matters. Standard PTFE connectors however still have a place, especially the small and micro sizes, these provide a neat, light way to connect to light elastics especially for the likes of those who fish canals, the elastics grips better to tying it onto a connector rather than a dacron so I feel it adds it little more security to my set up.
How to tie elastic to a dacron or connector:
Elastic Bung Vs Puller Bung Vs Puller Kit: The one area that has changed in recent years and has changed how we play fish, what elastics we choose through to the ultimate fish welfare. For most anglers they tend to stick to commercial fisheries so the likes of a standard bung isn't an option within there set up anymore, but for the all rounders or natural anglers among us the standard bung still can play a pivitol role; if you need to elasticate just your number 1 section these are perfect as they are made to fit the small
bores in your topkits, providing the short length required for this style of fishing.
Quite a few years ago now we saw the introduction of the Puller Bung from Preston Innovations, this certainly changed pole fishing for the better at the same time we was seeing the uplift in hollow elastics and commercial fisheries starting to boom so the ingenious idea from their design room probably created the most innovative product in fishing for some many years. The puller provides several functions, the first it acts like an internal reel for a pole, it gives the angler the option to pull elastic from the base of the bung which shortens the stretch of the elastic increasing the tension to control the fish better, it provides a soft strike which will reduce spooking the fish when setting the hook; this means you can then use much lighter elastics than you can with a standard bung reducing bumped smaller fish, so it makes so much more sense on today's commercials over a standard bung.
Leading on from the puller bung Italian company Vespe then came up with the idea of removing the bung altogether but keeping all the fish playing properties of the puller bung by introducing there Stripper Bush. This was an angled bush that fits into the side of a reinforced section of a topkit, this again was a huge step forward in overall pole innovation, so what does it offer above both the standard and puller bungs?
There are several other items out on the market to tailor your elastication and each have a useful purpose, the question is whether or not it will improve or be useful in your fishing, the 3 above are probably some of the more ingenious designs that work very well from Maver's Mulleto System, Preston's dedicated double elastic to their deep water puller bung. You have now seen the options available its time to set up your kits ready to get fishing, the best approach is to look at what venues you fish on a more regular basis especially if you don't have the luxury of many topkits; I see all too often anglers opting for too many options to try cover there fishing when in reality they probably could double up on just a few which will give them more options of choosing their swim increasing their catches.
Elasticating your kit: Before you start if you have to cut kits back ensure you cut them all to the exact same length and usually to the largest size bush you intend fitting, if you need to use a smaller bush you can always fit a smaller bush inside the large one, if you have a pole with the kits all the same size even better. A key thing to remember is to pre-tension your elastic regardless whether it's a solid or a hollow, be careful you don't go too tight especially with a hollow as when its stretched it creates heat and is susceptible to it fraying which will ruin it straight away so take your time. I tend to tie a small loop in each end and thread over one of my box legs, then stretch until tight (not max'd out) and then attach the end to a leg and let it sit for a few minutes before threading in your pole. Once I always attach the dacron first and thread downwards, the reason I do this is because its easier to tension at the bead than tying to a dacron, ensure that the elastic has just enough tension to retract it all the way back into the kit, don't over-tighten it as you lose all those advantages of the soft strike and the use of a lighter elastic.
- When storing your kits especially solid elastics use a good quality elastic protector, this prevents the elastic kinking when stored it will flat spot which will affect performance.
- There are 2 types of lubrication to use, good old water from the lake will suffice from the start of your session and throughout, when you set your topkit up stretch the elastic the tip under water and pull several times, this will keep it lubed throughout or if your bagging this will be even better. The second is a dedicated lubrication this is best used to add a thin coating to your elastics when your kit is in the garage and stored away, this will be enough just to keep the elements from perishing the elastic.
- Wash your elastics after use, especially if you have been using baits such as paste or meat, as if using a puller then the elastic will be covered in your bait. Meat especially is one of the biggest killers of elastics, latex doesn't like the fat in the meat and these start to break down the molecules in the elastic; if you think back to before puller kits/bungs elastics used to last ages something you here Hydrolastic fans saying they used to get 3 years out of a spool but now it doesn't last as long! The elastic hasn't changed its fishing that has, catapult elastics have always failed for years even at this time and its because they are exposed to things that reduced their lifespan. A quick wash with warm soapy water will dissolve the fat layer from the elastic and a quick squirt of pole lube will then protect it.
- The last one is weather conditions, this is certainly more prevalent towards hollow elastics, the make up of latex basically doesn't like the cold temperatures, it makes the elastic go stiff and lose a lot of its elasticity making it difficult to use. But although solids are not fond of the cold due the fact they are a solid structure they tend not to lose there elastic properties so much and are a much better choice in winter.
Daiwa Hydrolastic is slightly different from all other hollows in that they liquid fill there central hole with a gel, this changes the how the elastics works again, it basically creates a solid elastic that has all the properties of a hollow elastic as that is exactly what its is. The liquid stops the elastic from flattening out when it being pulled out and against the PTFE bush, there isn't enough pressure to compress the gel so it keeps the shape of the elastic, this aids its lifespan as less surface area is exposed to the heat caused by friction; this is one of the reasons to play fish with your tip close to the water or just slightly under the surface as it cools the heat created again improving its life.
Setting up You Kits
Internal Vs External: For many years we all had external bushes fitted to our topkits, they were easy to fit and widely available, but since Internal bushes came along these have become less popular, even topkits that are supplied now by many manufacturers such as Browning, Preston & MAP all supply there kits pre-bushed and come with internal bushes fitted. It baffles me as to why companies are still spending money on producing external bushes as they are nowhere near as effective as an internal, internals are so much neater where they reduce tangles, they provide a guide in the tip section admittedly only small (Drennan are longest) where it keeps the elastic central, I'm not too sure if it was Browning or MAP who came up with an ingenious idea to produce several sizes of topkit each the same length but offering different sized bores in the tips, this mean't no more cutting back losing carbon and length and again I don't know why some companies are still producing kits the old way.
How to tie elastic to a dacron or connector:
Quite a few years ago now we saw the introduction of the Puller Bung from Preston Innovations, this certainly changed pole fishing for the better at the same time we was seeing the uplift in hollow elastics and commercial fisheries starting to boom so the ingenious idea from their design room probably created the most innovative product in fishing for some many years. The puller provides several functions, the first it acts like an internal reel for a pole, it gives the angler the option to pull elastic from the base of the bung which shortens the stretch of the elastic increasing the tension to control the fish better, it provides a soft strike which will reduce spooking the fish when setting the hook; this means you can then use much lighter elastics than you can with a standard bung reducing bumped smaller fish, so it makes so much more sense on today's commercials over a standard bung.
- There is no need for a bung at all, so this reduces the weight of a topkit dramatically.
- Due to the hole being higher up the topkit it is easy to strip the elastic from the side and hold it, improving fish playing action.
- When fishing in deep water you can ship back and grab the elastic then push the sections back forward if needing to land a fish on a top 4 or 5
- You generally get 2 bushes for the same price as one puller bung
- The wrap on your topkit adds it little rigidity so this helps at long lengths.
There are so many variations of puller bungs out there now, which do you choose? Again this goes down to personal choice I wouldn't say there was a bad one but as we all do some will favour one over others, personally I use and like the best after trying several the MAP ones, for me it offers the best balance, it doesn't protrude so helps when storing kits, it lines up centrally inside your kit and I know some will disagree I don't like the idea of a moving part in a roller as it could rust or get something lodged in it preventing it from moving so for me simplicity is key to good elastication. Other swear by the likes of the Preston Roller which several companies such as Garbolino and Frenzee have adopted in there own style using the long slot style bushes, but as long as it works that's the main thing.
Elasticating your kit: Before you start if you have to cut kits back ensure you cut them all to the exact same length and usually to the largest size bush you intend fitting, if you need to use a smaller bush you can always fit a smaller bush inside the large one, if you have a pole with the kits all the same size even better. A key thing to remember is to pre-tension your elastic regardless whether it's a solid or a hollow, be careful you don't go too tight especially with a hollow as when its stretched it creates heat and is susceptible to it fraying which will ruin it straight away so take your time. I tend to tie a small loop in each end and thread over one of my box legs, then stretch until tight (not max'd out) and then attach the end to a leg and let it sit for a few minutes before threading in your pole. Once I always attach the dacron first and thread downwards, the reason I do this is because its easier to tension at the bead than tying to a dacron, ensure that the elastic has just enough tension to retract it all the way back into the kit, don't over-tighten it as you lose all those advantages of the soft strike and the use of a lighter elastic.
