on this video after the girl casts and sets the pole in the pod she reaches for something that sounds like a magnet . what are these and how do these work ? http://www.metacafe.com/watch/416517/wbm_carp_fishing_video_the_first_blue_lias_lake/

my bad // i looked at it again and all she is doing is engaging the bait clicker lol

The next question is why are the carp in the UK so much fatter than ours?

Cuz they are heavily pressured, and heavily baited

Smaller enclosed ponds + tons of highly nutritional boilies = FAT CARP

I believe the strain also has a lot to do with it.
As well as pond management, they remove all of the small fish in many of those ponds ever couple of years.