THE BREAM ' 8 1 



ceedings, this is fixed close to the water's edge, and in such 

 a position that the rays from the lighted candle inside, 

 shines directly on the float; (I might say that this float is 

 generally painted white, the light reflecting nicely on it). 

 After a bit this float in a ghost like manner, rises a little, 

 lays on its side, and then moves ofl^, instantly the pole is 

 grabbed, lifted from its support, and with a jerk that makes 

 the water fly, bream No. i is fixed. No grace is given a 

 hooked fish, but he is at once hauled to the surface, and run 

 to shoTe, if our angler has a landing net it is quickly slipped 

 under it, if not he stoops down, seizes it firmly by the back 

 of the bead beyond the gills and hurls it up the bank. And so 

 the game continues until the flickering candle tells him it 

 is time to give over. Sometimes he stays till one or two 

 o'clock in the morning, and catches two or three stones of 

 bream, sometimes he goes night after night, and fails to 

 catch a single one. During July when the nights are very 

 short, this man alters his proceeding somewhat, he throws 

 in his ground-bait the previous evening, goes to bed early, 

 and rises before the first streak of daylight is visible on the 

 eastern horizon, arriving at the scene of operations at two 

 a.m., finishing, up about five ; sometimes with as many 

 bream as he can conveniently carr)', more often with only 

 one or two, and still more times with none at all. But still, 

 success or failure he keeps going, and this continues for some 

 six weeks during the early summer, for as soon as har\'est 

 sets in our village rustic angler has other fish to^ fry. This 

 is a picture drawn from life, and can be set down as a 

 thoroughly representative Ouse breamer. There are other 

 men who go to work as far as tackle and groundbaiting 

 are concerned in a far diff"erent manner, so I ^^ill now ex- 

 plain the method that I have found by practical experience 

 to be the best toi adopt in slow running bream rivers like the 

 Ouse. The outfit itself need not be of a very elaborate char- 

 acter, a light but strong cane rod fourteen or fifteen feet 

 long will do very well ; a three inch wooden reel, and twenty 

 yards of plaited silk line of medium, thickness, all that is 

 required. For floats I like a good stout porcupine quill, 

 one carrying eight medium sized shots, the bottom tackle 

 should consist of two yards of medium, fine gut, stained a 

 G 



