ANGLING FOR BREAM. 129 



boughs of trees. His best season for biting is from the 

 beginning of April till the end of May. The hook, from 

 No. 3 to No. 6, should be whipped on silk-worm gut, 

 with two or three shots on the line, for pond- fishing, 

 with a goose-quill float His hours of feeding are 

 eight, twelve and four. Be sure to throw in a few 

 maggots at the taking of each fish, which will keep 

 them together. 



ANGLING FOR BREAM. 



The bream ! is a very coarse fish, and little esteemed, 

 being very bony, and the flesh soft and clammy ; but 

 it sometimes affords good sport. They begin to spawn 

 about the latter end of June, and are most in season 

 when big with roe. You should have a strong line, 

 with gut at bottom, the -hook for a worm, No. 5, but 

 for other baits smaller, and swan-quill float. When 

 you have fixed upon a place to angle in, plumb the 

 bottom, and let your bait run about an inch from it. 

 The best baits are red paste, 'gentles, wasp-maggots, 

 small red worms, and grasshoppers. The bream is 

 a strong fish, and runs hard when first hooked ; but 

 after two or three turns he will fall on his side, which 

 enables you to bring him to land with ease. The best 

 times of biting are from sun-rise till eight o'clock in 

 the morning, and from four in the afternoon till 

 sunset 



' 1 In Latin, Abramis brama. 

 



