The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I am looking at fitting elastic in an old pole that I purchased second hand. Being somewhat fugal and tights fisted, how where poles in the 60/70/80s fitted to cope with bigger fish?

1. Crook?
2. Flick tip?
3. Elastic band? only joking.

Any other method that could be adapted with items without going down the commercial elastic route?

Regards

Exe Angler.

Very often the shepherds crook was fitted with a short length of elastic... a bit later they were fitted with an internal bung with a hook in the second section from the tip running through both sections to a PTFE bush ( to stop the elastic fraying on the end of the pole) and the elastic is attached to a device called a stonfo to attach ones rig onto...

This was an accepted way of fitting elastics for many years till the advent of puller bungs and side pullers to land heavier fish

A cheap elastic fitting kit can be made for about a tenner plus elastic... another option is to take the pole to your local tackle shop and have them do it for you... at a price of course

Addendum... it helps if you are clear in your mind what fish you will be targeting... a lot of early/cheap poles were not up to landing very heavy fish... I'd surmise as its an older pole ( does it have a name/maker ?) it would be best to fish a lighter elastic anything from size 2 ( tiny roach rudd and perch) up to a size 8, (larger bream perch and smaller tench and crucians...) hope this helps

I think internal elastic came in in the late '70s/'80s - but could be wrong. So a crook or external elastic would have been earlier.

A simple ring for the line was also used as found on some cane rods. Not for bigger fish just bleak!

A spliced in 'quiver tip' being used as the flick tip on glass rods.

There is a good video of making up a modern 'flick-tip' showing how its done on a telescopic pole.

My dad got me what would probably now be called a whip, but was then sold as a pole in about 1970. It was French and he got it from the fishing department at the co-op. I think it was a Lech or something similar, anyhow it just had a small metal loop on the tip which I just used to tie my line to, I only caught tiddlers round here so never got smashed up.

Thanks
BB

That was a 'Lerc' pole - a make of pole liked by anglers then - very light.

I still have a fully ringed 17ft version with cork handle for laying on with a centrepin in the Thames for barbel.

Mine was only about the length of a decent rod, it was grey in colour, had two red caps.
I would love to find one similar.

Thanks
BB

Exe Angler, you don't say whether your pole is cane, fibreglass or c****n or whether the tip is hollow or solid. I love short pole fishing and fitting an internal elastic to a glass or cbn pole is easy, not terribly expensive and really the best way to go given that carp are virtually unavoidable these days. If they aren't an issue and you have a solid tipped pole or whip, it should have a loop fixed to the end already. If it hasn't, you could add one made from heavy nylon or suitable wire. Crimp the legs of the eye in pliers jaws and whip it in place. Then you can attach a line easily with a loop. Currently I use 12-14" of solid no 4 elastic looped onto the end of my cane poles with a dacron connector on the other end to which I fix my rigs. This combination has so far proved safe with nylon hooklengths to 3lbs bs.If you are struggling to get it sorted pop your pole tip into the local tackle shop and I am sure they would rig a hollow pole up for you. Failing that, PM me and I'll point you to some youtube vids or give you a more detailed explanation. Adding a flicktip or a crook is unnecessary really, more complicated than using elastic and probably more trouble than it is worth in my opinion.

Apologies in advance for those of a sensitive nature regarding the C word... but this vid works with any of the poles of the day except cane...

- - - - a flick tip!!