Perfection with Pole Elastic

Tactics
TACKLE IT WITH TOMMY
Perfection with
pole elastic!
What size elastic should I use in
my pole? It’s one of the most
common questions former
World Champ Tommy
Pickering gets asked.
Here’s the simple
answer that will suit
any match carp water
in Britain!
W
ALL-NE
SKILLESS
SERI
40 • IYCF Issue 284
Tactic:
❚ Pole
❚ Elastication
Difficulty:
O NE of the things pole anglers
get most confused about is the
strength of elastic they should be
using”, said Tommy.
“They think it’s all about the size of the
fish they expect to catch, but it’s not.
It’s all about the size of the hook they’re
using because your tackle must always be
perfectly balanced. It’s as simple as that.
“You can’t use a size 20 hook with a size 15
or 17 elastic, because the strong elastic will
‘bump’ fish by ripping the tiny hook out. Also,
you wouldn’t use a light elastic with a size 14
hook because it’s difficult to drive the point
home with stretchy elastic.”
The former World Champion added: “I’ve
come up with a simple four-point formula
of hook size and hooklength breaking strain
to elastic strength that I use for 99% of my
commercial pool carp fishing on any venue. I
don’t complicate it any more than this.”
• Tommy uses Preston Hollo Elastics for all
his pole fishing because it has a smoother,
For best results Tommy
recommends you use a
hollow elastic
consistent performance and long working
life but there are many types of hollow
elastic. Hollo Elastic comes in 3m lengths.
The ratings correspond to normal elastic
ratings, so a 13 Hollo is between 12 and 14
normal elastic strength.
Pole rig line is always 0.17mm (6lb 12oz)
Preston Reflo Power plus hooklength.
Using a top kit fitted with a Preston Pulla
system enables Tommy to vary the tension
in the elastic while playing a fish, allowing
a wide range of fish sizes to be quickly and
easily landed. He recommends you use one
too, rather than a traditional fixed bung.
TOMMY’S FOUR-POINT ELASTIC FORMULA
Hook size
20
18
16
14
Hooklength
Elastic strength
Hookbait
0.10mm/0.11mm (2lb 10oz to 3lb 6oz)
0.11mm/0.13mm (3lb 6oz to 4lb 12oz)
0.13mm/0.15mm (4lb 12oz to 5lb 14oz)
0.15mm/0.17mm (5lb 14oz to 6lb 12oz)
9 Hollo
11 Hollo
13 Hollo
15 Hollo
Maggots, casters
Maggots, casters, pellet
Pellet, corn, meat
Meat, boilie, big pellet
STEP ONE Fitting the correct size external bush to the top kit
1
2
3
Offer up the bush to the No.1 section at the
point where the internal diameter of the bush
matches the external diameter of the section
Using a sharp craft knife, not a hacksaw, lightly
score the entire circumference, then go round
again to cut half way through the section wall
between your fingers. You
Now snap the section bet
way. A hacksaw can
will get a clean break this w
weave
cause splintering in the carbon w
4
5
6
The finished external
bush should sit
tightly on the end
of the section
so it won’t fall
off when you’re
fishing
TURN OVER
You may have to repeat stages 2 and 3 a
couple of times to get a tight fit for the bush.
Smooth the inside with the knife like this
The bush needs to push on tightly. It’s vital that
the section is initally cut slightly too thick so you
can cut again in small steps to get the perfect fit
To learn how to elasticate a ‘puller’
top kit that gives greater control
over a wider range of fish sizes
IYCF April 16 – May 14, 2014 • 41
STEP TWO How to thread your elastic through the No.2 section of a Preston Pulla top kit
1
2
3
Insert a diamond eye threader through the exit
point on the bottom of the No.2 section of the
Pulla top kit and push it to the narrow end
Once it emerges put the elastic through the
diamond-shaped eye and squeeze it shut so it
traps the tag end of the elastic (see pic above)
Now you pull the other end of the threader back
through the exit hole dragging the elastic with
it until the diamond eye is clear of the exit
4
5
6
Cut the end of the elastic at a 45-degree angle
with a sharp pair of scissors. The object is to
get a fine tapered point on the hollow elastic
This is what you should be left with. You are
going to put a ‘stop’ bead on the elastic at this
point and the taper helps with easy location
Tackle shops sell a variety of different-sized
beads for this purpose. Choose the correct
diameter that suits the elastic you’re fitting
“Perfectly balanced pole elastic and terminal tackle will lead
to more fish successfully landed on every session”
STEP THREE Secure the elastic at the exit point of the Pulla hole on the No.2 section
1
2
3
Push the bead 12 inches (30cm) up the elastic and
form a good-sized loop like this, trapping the two
pieces between your thumb and forefinger
Now tie two overhand knots in the doubled-up
section of elastic. The idea here is to create a
large bulky knot that won’t pull through the bead
When you’ve tied the knot, and before you pull it
tight, it should look like this, with four strands of
elastic plaited together (see pic above)
4
5
It is very important to lubricate the knot
with spit before tightening it to prevent
friction burn which can weaken elastic
When the knot is tightened you’ll be left with a
big loop. Cut this off as above to form what is
known as a ‘spider’. Push bead down to the knot
42 • IYCF Issue 284
The finished
result with a knot
that can never
pull through!
Tactics
STEP FOUR How to elasticate the No.1 section of the Pulla kit
1
Push your diamond eye threader through the
bush at the tip of the No.1 section until it emerges
from the thicker end at the bottom of the section
2
3
Repeat process two, step two, and trap the
elastic in the diamond eye of the metal threader
in preparation for drawing it back through
Pull steadily on the diamond eye threader and the
elastic will emerge through the bush. Make sure
you pull at least a foot of elastic beyond the bush
4
5
Push the No.1 and No.2 sections together. Fully stretch the
elastic a foot at a time. Do this twice to pre-stretch it. This
prevents it hanging out after you’ve caught a fish or two
So the elastic creeps back in it must be 2in
shorter than the section length. Pull the slack
elastic 2in from the bush and cut at this point
STEP FIVE Preparing to fit a Dacron connector to the elastic
1
2
3
Hold tight to ensure the elastic doesn’t shoot
back into the No.1 section, make a simple loop
and tie a double overhand knot in it
Wet the knot with spit to prevent friction burn
that could create a weak point and slowly pull
the lubricated knot tight like this
You’ll end up with a small, neat knot like this
about an inch or so from the end of the elastic.
Keep a tight grip on the ‘laccy at all times
4
5
TURN OVER
Cut the elastic really tight to the small, neat
knot you have created. It’s important that this
process should be neat and precise
This tiny knot might look weak but it will
actually be the anchor against which the Dacron
connector will sit to absorb the fight of any fish
To see how to attach a Dacron
connector that Tommy reckons is
superior to any other method
IYCF April 16 – May 14, 2014 • 43
STEP SIX How to attach the Dacron connector to the elastic
1
2
3
Pu
Open the braid loop on the connector and lay
the pole elastic over the top like this. The knot
in the elastic is under Tommy’s thumb (right)
With the elastic trapped, fold the Dacron braid
loop fully over the blue, bell-shaped stopper
cone. See picture and movement arrow above
4
5
Wet the elastic with your finger and then slide
the Dacron braid hard up against the tiny knot
you created earlier, and pull fully tight
The final step is to push the cone-shaped buffer
bead back down the Dacron until it sits snugly
over the knot. It’s highly anti-tangle
ll
Holding the elastic, pull the cone away so that
the Dacron braid tightens 90% down to the
elastic. This is the anchor point for the system
This is the superneat finished
article
STEP SEVEN How you attach a pole rig to the Dacron connector
1
2
3
Remove a pole rig from its winder. It’s probable
that there’s already a loop on the end of the rig
line. If not, tie one like this one above
Now fold over the top of the rig line to create a
second open loop (right) close to the one that
already exists on the end of the pole rig (left)
Pass the new open loop through the middle of the
closed, knotted loop to create a third loop. It’s a
bit fiddly but gets easier with practise
4
5
6
This is the crux of the whole affair. The new, third
loop is then placed over the end of the Dacron
braid as illustrated in the picture above
You then pull the rig line tight so that the loop
closes against the knot on the end of the Dacron
braid. This is the anchor point for your rig
To remove the rig simply push the line towards
the braid until the loop appears. Wriggle it until
its half-way free, grab it and pull it off the braid
44 • IYCF Issue 284