Years ago, the only way to attach pole rigs to the elastic was to use a plastic Stonfo connector.
Whether you were using a No3 elastic for canal roach or a No16 for big carp, Stonfos were the only show in town – yet I felt they were never quite right.
Then we had the Dacron revolution, seeing initially some-made connectors made from the fly fishing material with a bead popped over the top to hold things in place.
Dacron took some time to become popular, but now almost every angler I see fishing the pole uses them, and it’s no wonder why.
They’re neater than a Stonfo, they won’t tangle, and are lighter and more direct on the strike. But even the seemingly perfect Dacron connector has been developed further by top matchman Andy Bennett to create something that performs even better!
However, that’s not to say that the older Stonfo won’t still work.
For the beginner to pole fishing, I’d always recommend them for popping a rig on quickly – not to mention the ease of tying the elastic to them.
‘Bennett’ connector
A knot is put in the elastic, the rig is looped on behind it and pulled tight, and the bead from a Guru Dacron Connector is pulled over it.
Dacron Connector
A connector with very stiff Dacron eliminates tangles and hits bites a fraction faster. With an internal connector it won’t tangle.
Stonfo connector
Similar to the Bennett version, they can be bulky, which is why they’re most used on natural venues with light solid elastics for silvers.
Puller kit bead
Nash TT Beads grip the elastic nicely but can still be slid about. They don’t alter the performance of the pole when fishing at 16m.
