264 AN OPEN CREEL 



however, has a reputation among the one or two people 

 who know it for holding big roach. The angler was 

 assured that fish of two pounds had been taken here ; 

 but none of these monsters are in evidence to-day. 

 Another roach of the same weight is taken, two rudd 

 of one pound each follow to successive casts, and then 

 the other float once more shows signs of life. It stirs 

 slightly, and then moves slowly off. There is no mis- 

 take about the fish this time; the slow and solemn 

 circles betray the bream, which, for all its two and a 

 half pounds, is landed in less time than was the rudd. 

 The second rod may now be laid aside, for the bream 

 have plainly now discovered that a good meal is to be 

 had for the eating, and little bubbles on the top of the 

 water show that they are making the most of it. As 

 usually happens when the bream of the Broads begin 

 to feed, a second bite follows at once, and a fish of two 

 pounds is landed. Then comes an hour of brisk sport, 

 at the end of which the angler finds that he has taken 

 twenty of the slimy creatures, weighing from one and 

 a half pounds to three and a half pounds, and with this 

 total he feels that honour is more than satisfied. 

 Besides, he is more than perplexed to know what to 

 do with them. Bream are a doubtful kind of present, 

 even in Norfolk, where they know how to cook them. 

 He would have been better pleased to have caught 

 fewer and bigger ones, but it is very seldom that a 

 four-pounder is taken in the Broads themselves. The 

 fish, curiously enough, seem to stop growing at about 

 three and a half pounds ; anything over that is a rarity. 

 In the deeper portions of the tidal rivers, however, 

 heavy bream are not uncommon. 



