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The essential tools and components you require are: winder bung and extractor rod, size 14 elastic, bull-nosed No.7 PTFE bushes, connectors, flat file, hacksaw and masking tape.
Size 14 elastic is too fierce for silver fish. But the beauty of using a winder bung is that you can compromise by slackening off the elastic for species like skimmers to reduce hook pulls.
1 Slip the No. 7 bush over pole tip to calculate where section needs cutting back. Mark spot with masking tape. The aim is to cut it undersize and then file it back carefully to correct diameter for snug fit.
2 Remove bush and cut away excess tip using backward stroke of blade only.
3 Detach masking tape and check bush for fit before taking back tip in small increments against the back of the flat file. When you reach the point where the pole tip just enters the bush, chamfer its edge to stop splintering.
4 If you miscalculate slightly, leaving the tip diameter identical to the bore of the bush, here’s a solution. Push the bush over a biro to flare its edges, giving you sufficient time to fit it over the pole for a snug fit.
5 Cut pole bung to size so it fits well up inside the bottom of the second section, ensuring it won’t impede clean insertion of the third pole section. Fit third section to gauge required clearance and tape point where base of the bung needs to lie.
6 Use marker pen on bung to indicate how much needs cutting away with hacksaw to achieve correct diameter. Don’t cut it flush with the mark – back off slightly to allow for adjustment.
7 Insert extractor rod in bung and check how far up it reaches inside pole section, measured against your masking tape. Make any adjustments with the flat file until it’s a snug fit within clearance zone. Chamfer rough edges of the bung.
8 Remove cap from your connector and tie elastic to internal holder with overhand loop. Lubricate with spit and pull tight, trapping knot with thumbnail to prevent loop forming above the connector, which will make it tough refitting the cap.
9 Slide cap back over connector and snip off excess elastic. Calculate length of elastic required to run inside your power top two by measuring it off against the outside of the sections. You need twice the length of the tip section plus a bit extra.
10 Fresh, large diameter elastic feeds smoothly through both top sections of a new pole without a diamond eye threader when everything’s dry.
11 Once you’ve fed the elastic through both sections thread it through the winder on the bung and tie two overhand knots to secure.
12 Wrap elastic around the storage winder with extractor rod fitted until it’s under reasonable tension.
13 Slip the bung inside the pole and unscrew extractor rod.
14 Correctly tensioned elastic with connector flush to the bush. Now you can attach the rig line by hanging it from the clip hidden by the sliding collar.
