The matchman must remember that he is likely to be fishing for quite some time and can do so for as long as he likes. You don't have to stop because someone's blown a whistle now you know and for this reason you may wish to invest in a stove to cook Sunday dinner on. Well there we are, we've got all the gear, brand spanking new, all four tons of it. You've also got a nasty surprise coming when the Barclaycard bill flops through the letterbox but nevermind. All that remains for the moment is to go and set everything up in the back garden to help familiarise yourself with it and then smother it all in mud, wash it down with some salt water and let it corrode for a day or two.
All new gear is just too uneasing and conspicuous.
Next time, we'll look at the second part of your transition. In the meantime, read as much as you can about carp fishing to get a bit of a feel for it all.