Ron,i am in total agreement with your sentiments on carp rods.I have tried for several years to find a rod with a true through action.Years ago i owned a pair of B.W.glass Mk.1V carp rods that i used for carp,bass,pike,salmon and even light pollack fishing from a boat.They always coped superbly and let you feel the fight through to your hands.The modern trend is more to macho casting machines that would not be out of place on Dungeness beach!!They certainly put a lead out a long way but are dead in the hands when a fish is hooked.At last i have a set of rods that are a pleasure to use - they are the Century R.1.'s.They were advertised as 'The Players Rod'a role they perform superbly.Alas,they never seem to have caught on as i understand they have been discontinued after little more than a year.
Ther is no doubt that todays anglers are far,far more efficient at catching carp than even the great R.W. could have imagined - but i fear that somewhere along the line the soul has gone out of the sport.
Cheers,Jim.