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Important Shipping information, terms and conditions. Important - please read thoroughly.
We will endeavour to get your order to you within 2 to 3 working days (with the exception of freezer boilies – see below). Orders received one day will be despatched the following working day on an overnight courier service. Please remember that the goods will need to be signed for so please make sure someone is available at the delivery address.
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All orders over £100 are sent post free (UK Mainland only).
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All delivery prices on website are for mainland UK only. For non-mainland postage costs please enquire.
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Freezer boilies (Please allow sufficient lead time).
These are not sent out frozen but are made fresh to order and sent out on an overnight courier as soon as they are made, thus ensuring maximum freshness. They are delivered fresh to your door for you to put in the freezer as soon as you receive them.
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Due to the fact that they are made to order, you will need to allow sufficient lead time for us to plan them into our rolling schedule. Delivery days are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and as a general rule, orders received one week will be sent out for delivery the following week. However, this can often increase depending on 'seasonal demand' and can at times be 4 to 6 weeks. It is VERY important to leave your mobile number so that our courier can send you an SMS message the day your goods leave so that you know exactly when to expect delivery, but please feel free to phone us for an update at any time.
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If the boilies are urgently required it might be worth contacting us via telephone to see if we can fit them in at short notice. This will depend on how busy we are at the time with the rolling schedule, but we promise that we will try our best to do so.
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The goods will need to be signed for so it is very important someone is at home to take delivery. If there is no answer the goods will be taken back to the depot and the customer will have to arrange an alternative delivery date. Essential Baits cannot accept any responsibility for any ‘freshness’ issues if no one is available to sign for the goods.
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VERY IMPORTANT:You will receive an SMS message the day your goods leave Essential HQ, followed by another the following morning to give you a one hour 'delivery slot'. It is strongly suggested that someone is available to sign for the delivery during this one hour window. If you contact our courier (DPD) and request a different delivery address, this will often delay the goods for at least 24 hours and we take no responsibility for the freshness of the goods if this happens. We feel the above notifications give enough notice of delivery and for you to arrange someone to sign for them. It may also be worth noting that if you contact our courier AFTER you have received a delivery notification SMS message, asking for the goods to be left in a safe place, it is down to the drivers discretion as to whether he/she considers it to be safe and in some cases, the goods are taken back to the depot. Once again, Essential Baits take no responsibility for this.
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When ordering, you can always have the goods delivered to an alternative address such as work, friends, family, neighbour etc. Alternatively you can instruct the goods to be left in a safe place such as a garage or shed, however, the recipient must accept full responsibility for the goods if you choose this option.
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Courier delivery charges to mainland UK.
Small Mail Pack Next day delivery (up to 1kg) £4.00.
Large Mail Pack Next day delivery (up to 10kg) £10.00.
Orders over 10kg Free.
All orders of £100 or over are sent ‘post free’ (with the exception of ‘special deals’)
If you liked Carp Life 1, you will love Carp Life 2.
All books ordered here will be personally signed by Mike.
The long-awaited follow up to one of the most highly acclaimed and talked about carp books of our generation is now available.
A brief look at the contents...
This massive 464-page publication is printed in full colour throughout and contains hundreds of colourful images, line drawings and sketches that have never been published before. The foreword is written by Pete Springate.
The book includes a massive section about bait - over 13,000 words in fact! So if you have any interest whatsoever in carp baits, this is a 'must read' and includes plenty of hints, tips and secret edges for everyone.
Then there's Mike's incredible story about his quest for the legendary Black Mirror from the Mere. This includes three highly entertaining chapters, covering 40,000 words and hundreds of previously unpublished images from this remarkable venue as he uncovers some of the secrets within its hidden depths and plots the downfall of the UK's most iconic carp.
This is followed up by a chapter called 'End of an Era' as Mike reveals the truth behind what happened at the Mere when tragedy struck with a major fish-kill, but not before he managed to save this iconic bloodline by raising some Black Mirror babies to keep the gene pool alive. Did any of them find their way back into the Mere? Mike reveals all.
If you have an interest in rivers and fishing for the 'unknown' in the middle of nowhere, the chapter, 'Somewhere down the Crazy River' will capture your imagination and includes some absolutely stunning UK river carp! Once again, Mike holds no secrets back as he continues his relentless quest to catch some breathtaking river monsters.
Then of course, we have the magical and enigmatic Frampton Court Estate Lake - quite possibly the most desirable lake in the UK, but due to very strict publicity limitations, this remarkable venue rarely gets talked about in the public domain. Mike has been given special permission to include an abundance of material from Frampton and the special jewels that thrive in this beautiful estate lake, some of which have only ever visited the bank once or twice in over a decade! These chapters include dozens of 30s and 40s, as well as three different 50s. Some of these fish are the most prestigious carp in the country and many have never been seen in print before. Mike goes into detail with the story behind each capture, including methods, bait application, bait choice and rigs that were used to plot their downfall. No secrets have been held back, neither has any nitty-gritty truths about what has gone on behind the scenes in recent years at this historic venue.
The guest chapter is provided by Martin Finan who became the first angler to catch three different 50's from the same venue within the UK! Martin tells all in this enlightening chapter. Once again, all previously unpublished material.
'Living the Dream' encapsulates an exciting journey of how Mike purchased a lake 17 years ago and developed it into one of the most prolific fisheries in the South-West, with fish to well over 40lbs. This chapter covers the highs and lows of creating a fishery, but more importantly, doing it the right way by rearing fish from eggs and small sizes before growing them on to the size they are today.
There is also a big chapter covering Mike's exploits fishing abroad over many years, including some humorous stories and as you would expect, tales of big fish from a variety of venues, including France, Belgium and the Czech Republic as he searches for unknown carp from untapped territory.
The story of Mike's 'brief affair' with Stoneacres is also covered, which includes the capture of one of the UK's most desirable and elusive creatures, the Number 9 Bus on just his second visit.
There are also plenty of stories and stunning carp from the likes of Dinton Pastures, Coate Water Park, Wellington Country Park as well as many other venues along Mike's continued journey.
Everyone likes to see a happy ending and the final chapter not only includes a few very special fish and yet more humorous tales from the bank, it details the story of how good prevailed over evil in the fight to turn Frampton Court Lake back to the wonderful venue it once was and sees some of the old members return to their rightful home.
Yet even all of the above doesn't begin to scratch the surface! Weaving in and out of 18 colourful chapters is an abundance of material on all aspects of carp fishing, as well as some extremely 'honest' and dark chapters covering Mike's personal life and how he came to terms with certain issues before finding the path back to his fishing.
Carp Life 2 covers all the emotions we will encounter in life and in carp fishing, and is undoubtedly a 'must read' for all serious carpers.
Price = £30.00 - Now POST FREE!! (Mainland UK only)
All books will be sent out on a 'signed on delivery' service and you will receive a text on the morning of delivery to tell you what time it will be delivered.
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