Rig guides · part of the rig library
What elastic should I use?
Four families of pole elastic: what each one is, where the grades run, and how to look after it.
Part of the rig library: the rig specs carry the recommendation for a given rig, this page carries the facts.
The four families
| Solid (latex) | Hybrid | Hollow | Hollow, liquid-filled | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Available in | No.1 to No.20, some brands to 22. Preston Slip runs No.2 to No.16 | About No.3 to No.23 (Preston Dura Slip Hybrid 3 to 23) | About No.4 to No.24. Preston Hollo is graded 7H to 19H (1.9 to 3.0 mm) | Rated by colour or diameter rather than a number. Daiwa Hydrolastic (colours), Guru Impulse Liquid Hollow (nine grades, 1.5 to 3.4 mm), Elasto Liquiflow (3-5 up to 20+, colour coded), NG Aqua Flow |
| Stretch | Least | Middle | Most | Most, and consistent along the whole length. The liquid damps the recoil |
| Feel | Soft in the low grades, hard in the high grades | Soft on the take, then firms up | Self-adjusts to the size of the fish | As hollow, smoother |
| Longevity | Shortest. Latex perishes in UV and heat: it goes sticky, loses stretch and snaps without warning. A season at most in a top kit that lives in the sun, less if it lives in a hot car | Short to mid. The latex core has the same UV problem as solid, so store it the same way | Longest. Synthetic and UV-stable, years if it is kept lubricated | Depends on the base. Hydrolastic is synthetic and UV-stable. Guru Impulse and Elasto Liquiflow are latex based (Liquiflow carries a UV treatment), so store them out of the sun. A nick lets the liquid out and the elastic is finished |
| Cost | Cheapest | Mid | Higher, and it wants a puller kit | Highest |
| Examples | Preston Slip, Drennan, Middy | Preston Dura Slip Hybrid | Preston Slip Hollo, Matrix, Middy Hi-Viz | Daiwa Hydrolastic, Guru Impulse Liquid Hollow, Elasto Liquiflow, NG Aqua Flow |
Looking after it
Lubrication
Pole elastic needs to be slick to shoot out and return cleanly. Commercial lubes work; so does a homemade mix of unscented hair conditioner and water, about 1 part conditioner to 4-7 parts water. An old washing-up liquid bottle makes a good dispenser. A squirt into the top kit before each session, then work the elastic through. Do not leave it soaking: some anglers report conditioner perishing latex over time. It is a lube, not a preservative.
Storage
Latex-based elastics (solid, hybrid and some liquid-filled) degrade in UV and heat. Keep top kits in a holdall out of the sun, never in a hot car, and re-elasticate every spring regardless of how the elastic looks.
Tension and wear
Hollow elastic goes slack with use: re-tension it at the puller. Check the bush and the connector for wear, since a rough bush wears any elastic from the outside in.
More guides
What line should I use?
Mono, fluorocarbon and braid, and the diameters that pair with each hook.
What hooks do I need?
Fine, medium and heavy wire, and the line each one pairs with.
How do I mount the bait?
Direct, bands, hair rigs, bayonets and screws, bait by bait.
How do I shot a rig?
Round shot, Stotz, Styl and olivettes, fixed or movable.
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