I have used match tops with the no.1 taken out and managed OK but ideally you want power tops. Provided you have a reasonable amount of elastic coming out the pole you will be fine. (if in doubt ask before you start, they do keep a close eye and will have a word if they believe you are bullying the fish.
The fish average 6 - 8lbs but a good quantity are 10lb+. There are carp to 20lb+ which do show up in matches especially late on in the margins as well as Chub to over 7lbs, Perch to over 4lbs and Golden Orfe to British record size.
One thing I do know is that the fish in Rolfs fight like no other carp I've ever hooked, especially the 6-8lbers which don't know when to give up. Elastic wise you need at least purple hydro, preferably red, or the vespe bi core mega pull (orange one). Anything less and you will spend far too much time trying to land the fish. Last weekend I watched a couple of anglers using black hydro and to be honest they didn't stand a chance.
It's not all pole work however as running line tactics are now allowed. The feeder can catch a good number of fish as can the pellet wag but of course because of the above don't go undergunned. Fishing a bomb is however not allowed for safety reasons.
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