I guess some of this also depends on exactly what you mean by "a lead and some pva"... for example, I reckon I could hit 60 yards quite comfortably with a 1.5oz lead and a tiny (10p size) mesh of micro pellet with a 1.75lb tc barbel rod... however, there are some folks who feel compelled to use a 3oz lead at all times regardless of range (and that's not what we're debating here...) because of it's effectiveness on the take/ bolt... also, a big PVA bag is going to add a couple of ounces too... so really, for casting a combined wight of 5 or 6 ounces ANY distance with accuracy, you'll probably want something 2.75lb tc plus...
For what it's worth, I've always found it a little strange that many carp anglers fish with overgunned tackle. Sure, if you need to go 100 yards +, then the big pit and 3.5lb tc stuff is proabably essential. However, you see a lot of this type of gear being used by anglers on commercials where their only fishing 30 or 40 yards out! I'm sure that in some cases, this is because they only have the one set of gear, but equally with others you can only surmise that from the accompanying mountain of matching tackle that they have with them that money isn't probably tight.
Personally, I want to enjoy the fight of the fish as much as possible, and a rod that actually bends is a must for me. I use a pair of really old Daiwa avons for a lot of my carping because I'm fishing small lakes with smaller fish and I don't see the point in overdoing it....
The powermesh's have something of a following don't they? Could be thinking of something else though....
