I have just started fishing for carp and I was wondering what is the best method and rod to use ?

Hi everyone. I've just been looking at my carp photos and see on every photo taken on every sunny day, the carps pupils are pointed down trying to avoid the sun- so should we keep a carps eyes in shadow when we catch one?
Just thinking that if a carp is in murky water all day sudden exposure to the sun could cause them damage, WHAT DO OTHER PEOPLE THINK?

Now I think everyone will agree that the most important part of any carp fishing set up is the last few inches in the water, ie your rig and end tackle.

Yes a powerful long distance rod, hi-tec bait boat or top of the range food bait boilies all have their role to play in putting more fish on the bank, but get the last few inches wrong and all the rest counts for nothing!!!

With the inception of the hair-rig, carping took a huge leap forward in terms of hooking efficiency. All of a sudden it became easy. I remember in the early 80’s catching unheard of (for the time) numbers of fish. This was a time when you normally didn’t catch many and only the top boys like Rod Hutchinson and Kevin Maddocks produced the goods regularly. Their developments and people like them evened things up, and gave us a chance to catch carp. The Rig became all important.

A rig needs to be strong, reliable, tangle proof, abrasion resistant, and above all mechanically effective to allow you to hook the carp. So what are the main types of hooklink material on the...