Runnings v semi-fixed. Popularity

[Nobby C (ACA)]

Agreed about the slack line/fixed lead theory, although I did use a similar system when fishing an arms drop out from the bank, it would have been closer but there was only about 5 inches of water there so an arms length gave me 18 inches or so. The fish could only move in one of three directions, which it did, to my right and it was like a rocket too.
The safest rig I can think of is a properly constructed helicopter, in the event of a break off the fish will only be towing the hooklink, add a barbless hook and I don't think it's possible to fish 'safer'.
At distance, how do you tell with a fixed lead, should the fish kite? I've had a situation where when I eventually noticed a small indication that the fish had actually travelled 10-15 yards to one side. Are lead clips used because it's just easier to remove the lead when packing away to protect the rod?

 

[John Keane]

Are we talking “carp fishing” as in 2 or 3 rods on pods, alarms, bobbins, etc? If so, I don’t do that but I fish for carp with a feeder every week. One well known commercial, Partridge Lakes in Culcheth, Warrington allows the use of the new Guru X-Safe system which has elasticated stems in various types of feeders and leads, the premise being that, in the event of a break the 3” of elastic attached to the hooklength pulls out of the feeder and the fish isn’t towing a 2oz weight around. These are the only non-running rigs they allow (it’s no coincidence that their on-site shop sells every Guru product under the sun!
I like to set up with a baitrunner and a very slight flex in the rod so carp and F1 bites, which are never very subtle, don’t pull my rod in but a drop-back is also noticeable and I immediately wind down on them to see if a fish is attached.