My method for elasticating a pole or whip.
THREADING A POLE\WHIP ELASTIC
You will need something to help you thread your elastic through the hollow carbon top sections of your pole. You can use a piece of wire or thick (20lb plus) line, or you can buy a ‘diamond eye threader’ from the tackle shop, which is made for the job and costs around £2.50. The elastic locks into the diamond-shaped bit on one end. ‘Bushes’ fit to the end of your pole they are made of soft PTFE through which the elastic can easily slide without sticking and without any damage. The size you choose must suit the elastic. ‘Internal’ bushes fit inside the pole’s hollow tip but require you to cut the pole tip back considerably and are not a good choice for the thicker elastics. ‘External’ bushes are more popular and are easier to fit, and you don’t have to cut back as much of the tip as you do when fitting an internal bush. Both bushes and connectors are available in many colours, which can be matched to the elastic colour if you want.
BUSHES cost about £1.30-£2.50 depending on size/brand. Connectors fit the rig to the elastic.
STONFO’ connectors if you are quite new to pole fishing, most of the connectors on the market are pretty good though. Connectors should cost you about a £1 each.
ELASTIC runs inside the pole from the connector to a ‘BUNG’, which fits inside the pole and locks there. The size of bung you need will depend on whether you are fitting the elastic into one, two or three sections of the pole. Standard bungs cost around £2-£2.50 and there are several different makes and types on the market. Some bungs also allow you to alter the tension once the elastic is fitted, and these would be my first choice.
FITTING THE BUSH
Generally I would fit elastics Nos 2 - 6 through the top two sections, and bigger elastics through the top three of a pole (top one or two sections of a whip)
1. Choose your elastic and check you have a bush it easily slides through.
2.
Cut the pole back by rolling the blade of a Stanley knife over it...
... until the bush fits snugly over the tip of the pole.
3. Gently clean out the end and then check the elastic slides through.
4. Now smooth off the tip with fine sandpaper or a file and fit bush.
5. (Option) you can glue the bush in place, the rough edge will help the glue hold the bush securely wipe off any excess glue, making sure hole is clear and leave to dry..
FITTING THE BUNG
The Vespe bung is a good one as it cuts out the need for a tag end of line at the bottom of the bung because it comes with a special attachment to remove the bung and there's also a fitting to allow you to alter the tension on the elastic. The key is to wind three turns onto the tensioner when you set the elastic up. If you set the elastic up too tight - which is easily done - 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 the bung just below this mark so the bung will fit inside the pole, if joint is a put over one then the bung must be seated inside just past the depth of the overlap joint.
3. Take your elastic and attach the bung with a double overhand loop.
4. Double up the elastic for about six to eight inches above the bung.
5. Dampen the knot, tighten it, and then trim off the loose end.
With this bung (Vespe) now wind on about three turns of elastic. With many bungs you will need to attach a length of thick line below the bung to enable you to retrieve it.
THREADING THE ELASTIC
This is pretty self-explanatory I think. If you don't have a diamond eye threader, a length of strong line (20lb plus) or a length of fine wire will do the job. 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, say a 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!
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.
Pull through until you draw the bung into the pole. Just push the bung in gently until it won't go further.
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 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. (if using a Stonfo proceed as follows) 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.
In theory the stonfo should gently slide, not snap, back to the tip.
FITTING THE HOOKLINK\FLOAT SET UP.
There are various ways to connect the hooklength, dependent on the connector used. For Stonfo proceed as follows
Tie a double over hand loop in the end of your float setup nylon.
Slide back the end of the Stonfo revealing the hook end, slip over nylon loop.
Slide back the end trapping the nylon in the hole of the Stonfo.
