448 MODERN SEA FISHING 



The COMMON SEA BREAM (Pagellus centrodontus), to which 

 Pennant incorrectly gave the remarkable name of ' lunulated 

 gilt-head,' is found all round our coasts, but more particularly 

 on the south and west. It is also known as sharp-toothed sea 

 bream, and in Ireland as murranroe, gunner, bar-win, carf, 

 carp, and brazier. I have on an earlier page told how I learnt 

 one of these Irish designations. Bream are warm-weather fish, 

 being mostly caught in summer and autumn. On the approach 

 of cold weather they retire into very deep water. The large 

 eyes with which they are furnished no doubt give them power 

 to see at considerable depths. 



Off Cornwall and Devon one of the most common fish is 

 the CHAD (not to be confounded with the shad, for that is 

 quite another fish), the young of the bream. They afford 

 first-rate sport for the youngsters, being plentiful and bold 

 biters, and are generally available as baits for other fish, such 

 as pollack and bass. When chad are feeding they take baits not 

 intended for them, and are an unmitigated nuisance ; but they 

 do not take so kindly to a strip of their species as to most other 

 baits, therefore, having caught a few, cut them up quickly and 

 use them on the hooks. When they have grown somewhat they 

 are called bogers in Cornwall. 



If a bream must be eaten, the following method suggested 

 by Yarrell is probably as good as any. The process is, indeed, 

 one which may be applied with advantage to any rather dry 

 fish. First catch your bream, clean and wipe dry, but leave the 

 scales intact. Flour it and broil it, and continue flouring if the 

 skin cracks. When it comes to table the skin and scales can 

 be easily removed, and the flesh beneath will be found fairly 

 juicy. A friend tells me that ' baked with veal stuffing bream 

 are excellent,' and I venture to add, ' particularly if well basted, 

 and served with a sauce flavoured with port wine.' The same 

 authority states that the flavour of bream soused in vinegar 



