PoLE School

with Bob Nudd

pole school

bob nudd

RIG IT
LIKE A
CHAMP

ELICATE, accurate and

sensitive pole fishing
brings you a host of
massive advantages.
It is the most simple and effective
way of catching fish and has won me
multiple World Championships! In
this booklet I'm going to pass on some
of the knowledge and experience
I've gained through many years of
"fishing the pole".
It doesnt matter if youve never
picked up a pole before or youre a
regular, Im sure Ill suggest things to
help you catch more fish.
To begin with Im going to show
you how to elasticate a pole properly.
An awful lot of people I coach get
this critical bit wrong and it will then
affect the way they use the pole.
Ive spent many years fine-tuning
the best way to elasticate a pole
and you wont need an engineering
degree to follow it!

Words: Bob Nudd Pictures: Mick Rouse

Four times World Champ Bob Nudd gives you

the definitive guide to pole elastication
2

pole school

bob nudd

know
your
pole...
Before I dive head-long into chopping back top
kits and fitting elastic I want to highlight pole
terminology and how they are supplied.
From the conversations I have theres no
doubt many anglers struggle to understand how
a pole is labelled.
Terminology isnt consistent across
manufacturers so its no surprise that confusion
reigns. Heres a typical pole package.

This is a Browning Xitan Z2 Carp Master

pole .
Like many modern carp or power poles
its been beefed up to cope with fishing modern
stillwaters where carp are the dominant species.
For most anglers a pole like this is what you

Beefed up top kits and No.4 sections

are made for carp

A match kit (above) takes thin solid elastic, a carp

kit (below) holds thicker, stronger laccy

Poles can be made to land small fish

or giants

elasticating
your pole...
1

To begin, cut back the tip section and fit the bushes to act as a
buffer between the pole and the elastic. You need the elastics
youre going to use, superglue, the bushes and a needle file

Fit the bush but dont push it all the way in. Dab it with a blob of
glue and push it home

pole to pick. But unless you only fish for small fish,
or you have a big enough budget to buy two poles,
Id advise you use a carp or power model and accept
that it wont be perfect for silverfish angling.

want to use. They are more robust than traditional

match poles that have been made for lightweight
canal and lake fishing.
Match poles are very light so they can easily be
held at 15 or 16 metres all day. They are also very
stiff and perfect for hitting shy bites from little fish.
However, to keep these poles so light very thin
carbon is used so they arent very strong. Hook
a bruising carp on strong line and elastic and itll
probably smash the pole.
The sound of splintering carbon is also the sound
of pound notes leaving your wallet!
So theres always a slight compromise over what
The following sequence is designed to give you the
full story when it comes to elasticating a match kit
with fine, solid elastic and a carp kit with thick,

Select the correct bush diameter for the size of elastic youre
using. To begin, Im going to elasticate a match kit with a solid
No.5 elastic so a 1.27mm bore bush is ideal. The elastic should be
a neat fit for the bush snug without sticking as this will stop
water flooding inside the pole tip

Wipe away any excess glue to leave you with a snug fitting bush
that wont budge

Most modern poles are marked with the

section number and they also have alignment
arrows. Due to the construction of poles you
should line up these arrows on joining sections to
optimise strength.

strong, hollow elastics.

Dont be put off by the number of steps it takes,
Ive literally covered everything you need to know so I

The tip of your top kit will be too thin for the bush to fit properly
so you must cut it back until it grips the tip. Cut the tip with needle
file, not a hacksaw. Saws tear at the carbon and splinter it but a
fine needle file cuts it neatly. A set of needle files costs a couple of
quid and is worth the investment

For a wide bore carp kit follow the same cutting back procedure.
With heavy elastics I prefer an external bush that covers the
outside of the pole section as it doesnt restrict the diameter of
the tip

The top kit you elasticate is called the top 2

or top 3 and features the thinnest sections.
Most poles are supplied with more than
one top kit a thin match kit which is softer and
designed for silverfish and a carp or power kit which
is thicker and stronger to handle big fish.
This month Ill show you how to elasticate
a match kit and a carp kit as there are subtle
differences.
It is worth noting that some manufacturers supply
joint power/match kits where you use the whole kit
if you want a soft silverfish kit or you discard the

short, thin No.1 section and elasticate just the No.2

and No.3 sections for carp.
Many poles such as the Z2 are also supplied with
a short and beefed up No.4 section (above).
The No.4 is the section where you break down a
pole to land a large fish so its the part that takes
the most strain and is most likely to break.
The strengthened No.4 section avoids breakages
and its a useful addition to a pole.

Some poles are also supplied with a mini

extension, a dolly section.
When your rig is a little short of a key
feature in the water this section comes in handy.
It is also good for fishing just past the area
youve fed. Fishing just beyond your feed is a tactic
that often produces bonus fish for me and the mini
extension helps you do this.

havent left out any of my personal tips.

What you see here is how I elasticate my own pole, I
start by cutting back the top kit and fitting the bush...

Cut back a bit at a time and test the bush to see if it fits snugly. If
you do it carefully the bush should be too tight to fit

Cut off a little bit more and repeat the bush fitting until it fits
tightly inside the tip. This is called an internal bush because it goes
inside the tip. I prefer these with light elastics

Smooth off the edges with a fine needle file

10

11

12

Once youve got a neat fit chamfer the edge of the carbon with
a fine needle file. It is common to discard the whole of the No.1
section when fitting a carp elastic so the bush often fits straight on
to the No.2 section

Push the bush on a little way, blob the pole with glue and push
the bush right on. Wipe away any excess glue

Heres the fine bore match kit fitted with an internal bush (left)
and the carp kit with a large diameter external bush (right)

pole school

bob nudd

how to elasticate a pole... (cont)

With the pole cut back and bushes fitted
its time to fit the elastic.
I'll show you how to run solid elastic
through a thin match kit then I'll detail
how you elasticate a carp kit with hollow
elastic.
The key thing to note is that you must
use different knots with solid and hollow
elastic.

To elasticate a top kit you need small and

large bungs, a hacksaw, elastics, diamond eye
threader, scissors and elastic connectors

Bungs come in different diameters to fit carp

and match kits. Push the bung into the base of
the top kit and mark with a pen where it stops

Place the hacksaw half a centimetre above

the mark. This is three or four steps up the
bung. Hacksaw through the bung, reducing its
diameter

Use a bung extractor rod to push the bung into

the top kit. It should go 6in-7in inside so that
when the next section is pushed in it doesnt hit
the bung

To elasticate a match kit with fine elastic slide

the diamond eye wire threader into the tip and
shake it down until it comes out the other end

Run your elastic through the wire diamond eye.

If youre using elastic rated number six or less
tie an overhand knot in it (inset) to stop it sliding
out of the wire loop

10

11

12

13

Pull the wire to drag the elastic into the tip and
through the top two sections. For a match kit
with light elastic you only run it through No.1
and No.2 sections

The knot will have slid up to the loop as you

pulled the elastic through. Snip it off

Put the elastic through the small hole on the end

of the bung

For a solid elastic only (hollow elastic needs a

different knot which Ill show you later). Create
a normal overhand knot

Pull the elastic loop to partially close the knot

but dont fully tighten it

Ease your knot down to the top of the bung. Pull

both ends of the elastic to tighten it. The coils of
elastic actually bite into each other and form a
vice-like grip

Trim off the tag end to form a neat knot on

the connector and give the elastic a final tug to
make sure it doesnt slip

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Browning bungs have a winder section to hold

extra elastic. Wrap six turns on winder, thread
elastic through runner on the top of bung and
push into pole

Now grab the elastic coming out of the tip and

give it a few good stretches. New elastic is extra
stretchy and it helps to take out this softness

Decide where to tie the rig connector. Pinch

the laccy and pull it. Attach the connector at a
point where the elastic pulls back smoothly into
the pole

Once youve found the spot where the tension

in the elastic smoothly pulls it back into the
pole, cut it

Get a mini connector thats suitable for using

with fine lines and light elastic and slide the
bottom sleeve section on to the elastic

Now put the elastic through the hole in the

bottom of the top section of the connector

Tie an overhand knot in the elastic (the same as

used to attach the bung) but dont pull it tight

21

22

23

24

Ease the knot down to the connector and pull

both ends to fully tighten the knot and nail it to
the connector

Thread the top section of the connector on to

the elastic. The size of the connector should
match the thickness of the elastic and be a
snug fit

Trim tag and slide connector sleeve to cover

knot. Sleeve should double click into place to
stop collar on top of connector slipping when
you hook a fish

Now you tie a different knot. Wrap three turns

of the elastic tag end round the elastic coming
out of the pole tip

Elastic should pull back smoothly into the tip. If

it snaps back hard or is floppy and doesnt pull
back into the tip you need to alter the tension

Tuck the end of elastic through the hole beneath

the connector. Pull the knot really tight to make
it small enough for the connector sleeve to push
over the knot

Use the bung extractor to remove the bung

and wind more elastic on to it to increase the
tension, or unravel some laccy to release the
tension

Hollow elastic is quite thick and can make bulky

knots that would stop the connector slotting
together neatly. This knot tightens down well

fitting hollow elastic

to a carp kit

Hollow elastic has one great advantage when you are pole fishing for carp
the extra stretch it provides is far better at absorbing the power of the fish
and ensures you land more of them.
While it isnt good when youre fishing up to snags like lilies (the extra
stretch helps big fish reach sanctuary) in open water situations size 10-20
rated hollow elastics cant be beaten.
However, there are a few subtle differences you need to note about
elasticating a pole with hollow elastic.

You dont need a threader. The weight of the

elastic means it can be shaken through the No.2
& 3 sections

Bung and connector are attached with a

different knot to that used with solid elastic.
To start, thread the hollow laccy through the
connector sleeve

Hollow elastic is great

for controlling carp of
this size

There should be no elastic sticking out of the

connector which sits square to the pole tip in the
perfect position to have the rig attached

pole school

bob nudd

Test
tank
trial
Words: Bob Nudd Pictures: Mick Rouse

To be successful on the pole Bob urges you

to tie your rigs at home and test them in a
tank of water. Heres why

IME is precious, and

fishing time is even
more so. It therefore
makes sense to do
whatever you can to
avoid wasting it.
To help you achieve this Im going

to show you how to tie the perfect

pole rig at home.
There are two reasons for doing
this.
For a start you will tie a better
rig when youre sat comfortably
indoors than you will on the bank,
especially when the winds blowing
and its raining.
Second, if you tie a rig at home
with a body of water to hand use a
tall pasta jar or glass vase you can
create a rig that is perfectly shotted
the second you drop it in your swim
on the bank.
If youre not wasting time setting
up your pole rig by the water youll
have more time to catch fish.
Heres my guide to how I make
up a rig at home proving its easier
to be a precision-made pole angler
than you might think

pole school

bob nudd

making a pole rig

This step-by-step sequence shows
you a foolproof way to tie the perfect
pole rig the process I use for every
rig I ever use.
Time-wise it wont take you long
to tie a rig a few minutes once
youve got the hang of things but it
will make a huge difference to your
fishing as your hookbait will spend a
lot more time in the water.
I know some newcomers to pole
fishing will think that the idea of
shotting up a rig at home is crazy, a
step too far in dedication to fishing.
All I can say is that it will make
your actual fishing time more
pleasurable and more productive so
its surely worth what little effort it
takes.
In these photos youll see my test
tank. This is a plastic tube Ive had
for years, I cant remember where I
got it from!
A simple alternative to this is a tall
pasta jar, the type used for storing

Fill your vase or pasta jar testing tank with

water and drop the float in it

spaghetti, or a cheap glass vase. You

can even let the missus borrow it for
flowers when youre not using it!
Believe me, once youve started
making your rigs at home and preshotting them you will soon realise
what an advantage it is.
No matter how well floats are
made they are mass-produced and
are constructed from different
materials, including variable ones
like balsa.
A tiny variation in any component
will affect the shotting capacity so it
makes sense to shot the float at home
rather than waste time on the bank
when you discover the float takes a
different amount of shot than stated.
Heres what you do

A fraction of float body should stand

proud of the water dropper shot will
dot this down

Check the size of the float capacity

and select shot or an olivette
slightly less than the capacity.
As a general rule my float choice is
governed by the depth of water I'm
fishing multiplied by 0.1 gram. So,
in a five foot swim I use a 0.5 gram
float. For a 10 foot swim choose a 1
gram float. If the float I choose has
a capacity over 0.5 gram I use an
olivette as the main weight, theyre
neater and less tangle prone than a
string of shot (see my guide to shot
on page 22)

Thread the mainline youre going to

make the rig from through the eye of the
pole float

Thread the pieces of silicone tube on to the end of the mainline and
slide them down to the float

10

11

16

Browning olivettes are wedged with a tiny

bristle of carbon to plug into the silicone
tubing running through the olivette

Theres still 0.1gram of the floats shot

capacity to add. Add three No.11 split
shot

12

13

14

15

10

Use the figure

of 8 knot to put
a loop in both
ends of the line
then attach a
hooklink with
the loop to loop
knot. The rig
is finished and
just needs to
be stored

Slide the float and shot up the line then

snip off the piece where the shot was
pinched to avoid using damaged line

Ensure the spit shot or olivette isnt wrapped around

the end of the winder. This can knock the shot off
the line or damage the mono

The shot/olivette should be on the line in the centre

section of the winder

Attach a soft rubber pole anchor to the loop in the

end of the pole rig

Slip the other end of the anchor

over the peg on the end of the

If the tip or body sticks out like this it will get broken

Slip the hook into one of the holes in the winder

body. Then wrap the line round the winder

Cut two pieces of micro diameter silicone

pole float tubing, one slightly longer

Pull the olivette off the float and slide it

down the line with the thicker end nearest
the hook

The olivette and dropper shot are now

placed near the end of the line just below
the float

Push tubing on to the stem. Put one at the

body base, one half way down and the
longer piece overhanging the end

I use spring loaded long-nose pliers to

attach shot to the line, easier than using
your teeth!

Now that youve tied a rig youve got to store it without it getting damaged.
This means putting it on a winder of which there are several types. Heres
how to safely store your rigs

Make sure the winder is long and deep enough so

the float doesnt overhang it

This is a 0.6gram float so I push a

0.5gram olivette on to the float stem to
test the shot load

Put the float in

the testing tank
and alter the
shot until you
get it sat with
no more than
half the bristle
showing

storing a rig

Some winders dont need a pole anchor thanks to a

sliding device that holds the rig loop
Attach a sticker
to the winder and
detail the shotting
capacity, line
diameter, breaking
strain, hook size and
the length of the rig

11

pole school

bob nudd

shotting up a pole rig

One of the biggest differences
between pole and float fishing is the
size of the shot used and the total
loading applied to the line.
Because a pole float is lowered
into the water rather than being cast
like a waggler float, theres no need
to use a large float carrying a heavy
casting weight to propel the rig.
Although small sizes of round
split shot can be used different types
of tiny shot are also available that
make fine-tuning of pole rigs easier.
To avoid confusion heres a guide
to what types of shot are available
and what they weigh.
Any shot larger than a No.8
(0.06gram) up to 1oz (28.35gram)
must be made of non-toxic material
rather than lead or you could be
fined 5,000!

split shot

Round with a central split cut into it, this is the classic
type of shot. To shot a pole rig you need small dust shot
between size 11 and 8.

Styl

This long thin, barrelshaped weight was

designed by continental
European anglers to allow finetuning of very delicate pole rigs.
Available in tiny sizes so they
allow
the rig to fall through the water
olivette
slower than comparable sizes of round shot,
These are streamlined bulk weights
the downside is they are fiddly to attach to the
that are threaded on to the line so
line and are not often used by the majority of pole
the nylon runs straight through the
weight or is pinned to the outside of anglers in the UK.
However, many pole floats still have their shotting
it by rubber sleeves.
Available in sizes from 0.3gram to capacity stated in styl weights so it is necessary to know what
12gram they are used to bomb the these weights are.
Styls are classified in the reverse of split shot, the higher
hookbait to the bottom, usually in
the
number the larger the shot. Lead styls from No.12 to
water at least five foot deep.
No.20 are illegal in the UK.
No.7 = 0.01g, No.8 = 0.017g, No.9 = 0.025g,
No.10 = 0.035g, No.11 = 0.048g

You can see the full range of Browning poles and pole accessories used by Bob Nudd plus lots more
fishing and tackle tips from Bob Nudd and our other expert anglers at www.browning-fishing.com.

Code 9963 599

This issue was presented by:

Zebco Europe Ltd

9400 Garsington Road Oxford Business Park
Oxford OX4 2HN Tel. 0808 / 23 44 519
info-uk@zebco-europe.com
www.browning-fishing.com