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Great contribution Jon i really mean it , never a truer word or words said than what you have posted . Jeez i've been fishing for 41 years but im also a complete beginner at THIS game . Every day on the bank teaches and , to a lesser extent , every answer and opinion on here . Im a proper noddy and not ashamed of it , i know next to nothing about Carp fishing but still feel able to help . Its what Carping and Carp.com is all about . Well done , top post .

don't let anyone, especially youtube tell you how to fish. finding what works best for you is part of the great adventure that is carp fishing, it is ok to take on board the advice doled out at the carp.com pulpit but i bet none of the die hards on here take the info gleaned and use it undiluted. i'm not saying "don't ask for advice" because that would be stupid, even Dal, nick Tim or i have asked questions in the past, its how we learn. most of us are 'time served' but we can still learn from others, i have 50+ years from canal for gudgeon to carp but you should have seen my face when i first saw the bungee rig a couple of months ago bailiffs are only good for one thing and i will take that with a pinch of salt and that is bait info. i will use rigs from 3" to as long as 2ft depending on the lake or method that i am using at the time. enjoy your learning curve and tight lines

I'll give you this, covering both hooklink and hair length; My hook links are usually between 15-20 centimetres long, 6-9inches as most of the lakes and rivers I fish are pretty weed free, and I use running leads, which may mean I can get away with shorter rigs than if using semi-fixed leads. My hair length is always changed dependant on where I am hooking (or losing) the fish. I start off with the hair leaving the shank of the hook directly opposite the barb of the hook, and the hookbait about 5millimetres below the bend, hanging freely, not touching it. If I start losing fish, or hooking them at the very edge of the mouth, then I lengthen the hair. If I am hooking them deeply in the mouth, or can see the hook has scraped down inside before finding hold, I shorten the hair. If the hook is dead centre of the bottom lip, hair length is spot perfect. Some additionals for you though; If you feed more particles, groundbait or pellets, a big bed of free bait, then you may need a shorter hair and hooklink than if you feed just boilies. In other words, how you feed may also contribute to how long a hair or hooklink you use. If you fish in weed, then you may need a shorter hair to keep the bait tight to the hook. Finally, pop-ups are a different kettle of fish altogether, and in most cases, should i use a pop-up, then the bait is on an extremely short hair, more shank mounted than on a hair at all.