I have listed below my recommendations for balancing elastic/line/hook sizes

Once you’ve purchased your new pole and spare top kits the next thing to consider is correct elastication inside the top sections. Newcomers to the sport often get this wrong and end up using light grade elastic when they should be using heavy and heavy elastic when they should be using light. Really it’s all a matter of balance ans choosing the right strength of elastic for a given situation. You may recall last week I spoke about getting spare top kits when you purchase a new pole. Well, one of the reasons why you will need to do this is that you may be needing a variety of elastics for the various fish you will be after. Getting the balance between fish, elastic, line and hook is very important and if you get it wrong you will not get the maximum from your chosen swim. I have listed below my recommendations for balancing elastic/line/hook sizes. Follow this guide and you won’t go far wrong. All the component parts you require to elasticate your pole sections are available from good retail shops. Most branded elastics are now very reliable and several companies produce good quality elastic at realistic prices. I favour the M.A.P. elastic as it’s very reliable and durable. It’s also colour coded so you can easily recognise what elastic you are choosing when you are tacking up.

The above table is a general guide to the elastics you will need. Don’t worry too much if your line is slightly heavier or marginally lighter than my recommendations. Likewise you can use a hook slightly bigger or smaller than those sizes I have listed. The big mistake would be to throw everything out of balance by using a very light line with a strong elastic.

Right, thatís elastics sorted. Next week we’ll be taking a look at other tackle you will need to become a proficient modern day pole angler.