BRAIZE AND BEEAM. 95 



that bait before them. "With reference to the first point, the 

 experience of others must be the guide; but as to the other, 

 the angler having determined at what depth the fish probably 

 are, must so arrange his tackle that the bait reaches them. 

 For instance, in shallow water the float tackle can be used, 

 heavily leaded if the tide be strong, lightly if it be slack. If 

 the fish are bottom feeders, the float must be arranged so as 

 to bring the bait on the bottom, or the leger, or paternoster 

 with lowest hook close to the lead, may be used. For very 

 deep water heavy leads are necessary, and for deep water 

 combined with a strong tide, very heavy leads. As a matter 

 of fact, everything depends on circumstances, which vary 

 with the season and locality; and the man who has not the 

 intelligence to adapt his tackle and methods of fishing to 

 circumstances, need never expect to become an angler. Apolo- 

 gising for this slight digression, I have only to add that, for 

 convenience of reference, the fish in this chapter are arranged 

 alphabetically. 



The Braize or Becker.— This fish is a member of the 

 bream family, and is not taken in large quantities on our 

 coasts. Its back is blue, sides and belly silvery. It feeds 

 both on the bottom and in mid-water, and, as it has a par- 

 tiality for mussels and ragworms, is sometimes taken by pout 

 and whiting fishers on their paternosters or hand-lines. It is 

 not often specially fished for. 



The Bream, Chad-bream, Brim, or Bed Gilt-head.— 

 The sea bream is a large, handsome fish, somewhat prickly 

 to handle, and poor to eat. It is found all round our coasts 

 in large numbers, but is most abundant off Sussex, Devon, and 

 Cornwall. The largest fish, weighing five or six pounds, are, 

 as a rule, only caught so far out at sea that the depth of water 

 renders angling impossible. Hand-lines with heavy leads are 

 generally used, the bait being kept two or three feet from the 

 bottom. Where the water is not too deep, bream may be taken 

 on the rod with paternoster tackle, but in shallow water it 

 is almost useless to angle for any but very small fish during 

 the day. In deep water, when there is little light, and where 

 semi-darkness prevails, they will bite at all times. The baits 



