In this article, we are going to focus on elastics that are made by Preston innovations.
We will go through each one by type and then look at what each strength is most suited to be used for.
The 4 below are the main 4 elastics produced by Preston. It can all be a bit confusing and you might not know which is best for the right for each situation.
Click the links below to jump straight to the elastic you want to read about.
Contents
Preston Innovations Dura Slip Hybrid Elastic
This was released in 2020 and is the newest elastic in their range. As the name suggests, it’s a hybrid elastic. It’s soaked in a slick lubricant which makes it really stretchy and makes it knot really well.
A quote from their site says “combines power, durability, and stretch to create the perfect solid elastic for a wide range of species including F1’s and Carp.”
What are the advantages of this over other elastics? It has what’s called a “progressive stretch” which means the stretch almost cushions the fish and after the fish bolts off it will almost turn around and start to come back (at least that’s what Preston Innovations say).
People say that this new dura slip hybrid is stronger than the original slip elastic. So a 5 in this range will be stronger than a 5 in the original slip elastic.
| Elastic Rating | Colour | Comments |
| 5 | Purple | Perfect for silverfish fishing such as bream, skimmers, and roach. The smaller fish can easily be swung in with this elastic to save you from having to net them. |
| 7 | Blue | Similar to the number 5 (for bream and skimmers) but just that bit stronger. Again, I would recommend this for silverfish fishing and maybe the odd tench or small carp that will come along. It is also a good winter elastic. |
| 9 | Pinky Red | 5 to 9 are the light elastics in this range. The 9 is a good elastic for small F1s and a venue with a lot of stocky carp. It can land larger fish if it needs to but would just take a bit longer. A good choice for a short top kit. A good elastic for spring when the fish start to wake up. It’s soft enough to not pull out of fish, but strong enough to get them in. |
| 11 | Green | A great f1 elastic – good for short kits but also good for long kits. Helps F1 size fish pop up right in front of you |
| 13 | Grey | This is for when the fish are getting bigger and you maybe want to fish down the margin. The 13 has plenty of stretch but is strong enough to get them in. |
| 15 | Dark Red | A nice strong elastic for the margins. |
| 17 | Yellow | For a venue that holds a lot of big fish. |
| 19 | Orange | This is serious elastic for big fish. This would suit an edge pole or a strong top kit. |
One thing this has over other manufacturers is the price. Its RRP is £5.99 and for that, you get 3m of elastic, which is more than what some other providers give you. This means you should be able to get 2 short kits out of 3m if you are careful with it.
Preston Hollo Elastic
A great choice for commercial fisheries and it comes in a wide range of sizes
| Elastic Rating | Colour | Comments |
| 7 | Minty green | A good commercial silver elastic. |
| 9 | Blue | 9 hollo is one of Des Shipp’s favorite elastics of all time. Great for all-around fishing. |
| 11 | Red | Perfect for f1’s shallow and carp. Stretches for ages. Joe Carass said this was his favourite Preston elastics before the new Dura Slip Hybrid elastic came out. |
| 13 | Green | A great edge elastic. A few pulls on the side puller and they will be under your feet. Suitable for carp venues with carp from 2lb to 6lb. |
| 15 | Dark Blue | Suitable for edge fishing |
| 17 | Yellow | Great for down the edge. Really strong and can withstand wear and tear. |
| 19 | Purple | For your big carp venues! |
Preston innovations Dura Hollo
Des Shipp likes the 10 for carp from 2lb to 5lb and plenty of F1’s.
| Elastic Rating | Colour | Comments |
| 8 | Grey | Nice elastic for F1’s in the winter. |
| 10 | Green | Perfect for smaller F1 carp when it’s warming up. A great short kit elastic. |
| 12 | Purple | Great through a short F1 kit to get the F1 under control and in the net in a short space of time. |
| 14 | Blue | A good edge elastic but something that’s not too strong. |
| 16 | Yellow | A great edge elastic to get your away from the reeds and lily pads |
| 18 | Black | For your big carp! |
Preston Innovations Original Slip
This is a solid elastic. Years ago, they were all solid elastics.
In a video, by Des Shipp he says that this type of elastic is his choice for small fish and F1 carp for the past 20 years.
It is also a great choice for canal fishing for bream, roach, and the odd surprise that comes along.
These are also the cheapest elastics you can buy as most are under £3.
| Elastic Rating | Colour | Comments |
| 2 | Red | For very small fish |
| 3 | Green | Used by Kayleigh Dowd (sponsored angler) on through a top 1 of a match kit or a short kit on a side puller for shallow commercials or canals |
| 4 | Orange | Used by Kayleigh Dowd on through a top 1 of a match kit or a short kit on a side puller |
| 5 | Blue | Suitable through a top 2. When you strike it doesn’t disturb the fish too much. |
| 6 | Yellow | Up to 2 or 3lb fish or suitable for f1’s in the depth of winter. |
| 7 | Good for F1’s when they start to wake up in spring. | |
| 8 | Black | Not suitable for big carp venues, but ok for F1 venues. |
| 10 | Extra Blue | Great for F1s |
| 12 | Extra Green | Ok for carp to about 4lb |
| 14 | Extra Purple | Good for the edge and bigger carp |
| 16 | Extra Yellow | A beast of an elastic for edge fishing |
Final Thoughts
It is all a personal preference. Many anglers may swear by hollow elastics while another might use nothing but solid elastics.
Some anglers will always choose to use light elastics as they prefer to let the fish run a bit more and there’s less chance of them bumping off.
