Know your stuff
How to pick the right elastic every time
I FIND elastic choice confusing. What does each number mean in terms of the size of fish I can catch on it, and what on earth do the colours and grades of hollow elastic mean?
I get the impression the elastics I’m using aren’t right for the fish in the lake I go to. Tom Mallings, Dartford YOU’RE right, it can be confusing, especially when you throw hollow elastics into the equation, so let’s start by breaking this down into the two types of elastic on the market – solid and hollow.
Solid elastic is the classic type used from way back in the 1970s and 1980s. It has less stretch than a hollow elastic but more concentrated power, and is popular among river and canal anglers using the lighter grades for roach, skimmers and perch.
Solid elastic is still perfectly Hollow elastic is favoured for carp. fine for carp, but can bottom out (reach the point where it can’t stretch any more), which results in broken line and lost fish.
The chart on this page gives you a good idea as to the species of fish you should be targeting with which grade of solid elastic.
Hollow elastics are completely different. They have far more stretch and so are softer than a solid elastic, but they lose a bit in the power stakes as a result.
Anglers who fish for perch and skimmers on canals and lakes love the stuff, and when using small hooks in winter and spring for carp, hollow elastic is a winner.
For fishing snaggy pegs at close quarters, though, a solid is a better bet. In terms of hollow grades, numbers such as 6-8 refer to traditional solid grades.
Whichever you use, try to fit the elastic through the top-2 of your pole oe, on deep venues, the top-3. This will give the maximum length of elastic to stretch and greatly reduce the number of lost fish over the course of a session and a season.
It’s also vital to lubricate the elastic by squirting custom-made pole elastic lubricant down both sections of a top kit before starting to fish. This will result in a smooth flow when a fish is hooked.