I havent used red in my pro yet but love grey especially shallow. you say you only landed 1-4. What size fish were they, what diameter line and were you fishing next to snags because to be honest i would only use it by snags.

You have 2 choices really mate, you either fish heavy and get the fish in the net or you go light and have the fish snap you off. In open water it’s not really an issue but near snags it’s game over!

Obviously there is only one option IMO as fishing too light will mean you lose fish and this aint good for fish welfare i.e. Parrot mouthed Carp!

There is a third choice. The long rod 0.18, drennan margin hooks or similar. I kept loosing out to beasts down the edge on the pole so the running line was set up and proved to be much more successful. If there are really big fish next to snags i use a softish carp rod, pole float and 0.21. Just set the clutch on your reel until it only just gives.

Another two options
1 buy a strong pole
2 try your airity with red hydro.you never know??? at least you,ll find out how strong it is. Most poles will take a lot of stick
I’d go for option 1 by the way

Just use the Airity with red hydro, its well capable of it with the short 4.

My mate uses red hydro through his match kits !!

You might find you are better in that situation with a big solid anyway, try a 16 and strike into the snag, the fish usually swim the opposite way to the strike, if they dont then bend into them properly and pull them out.

i like inky`s idea, if its a rod length or rod length & a half down the margins, suppose it depends on how tight you need to be in the margins & any over hanging trees/bushes

grey is defo not up to fishing to snags :confused: it stretches forever so would prob be my last choice! i used to use the preston 17h but that needed to be tightened up considerably. personally i wouldnt like to use the airity with red thru against snags, not saying it wouldnt take it because it prob will but an expensive lesson if it wont 😮 The thing is when fishing like that you need to give em some and have total confidence in your set up else your gonna get done more times than you wont, maybe a decent crunching pole may be the best choice if your not 100% theyre cheap enough if you look around and you wont have a seizure if it all goes pear shape and goes bang 😀

I was using red hydro and the original xrs so i wasn’t undergunned when i went down the rod and line route. Pole elastic will always stretch alot more than you think and still put very little pressure on a big fish when compared to a power rod. (Try if you’re really board it’s why puller kits came about imo). If you have to go down the pole route a short elastic or if you’re doing it properly power gum, will lead to disaster unless you have a pole that is soft enough to absorb a kicking carp and avoid those hook pulls.
With a long rod you can apply maximum welly instantly and maintain it. I will happily fish up to 10mts down the edge and will get most in the net before a average joe pole angler.The rods are nothing special. Long rod is a milo power 18/20 or for big beasts a 2lb and bit shimano diaflash both from the late 90’s.
The tip about pulling fish towards a snag sounds nuts but i works really well… that’s were the pole score’s and presentation obivously. They only wiegh whats in the net now don’t they?