194 THE BREAM. 



soon as the hooks were fresh baited they were alike greedily 

 taken. Some few perch and tench were caught, but the fish prin- 

 cipally taken were bream, which averaged at least two pounds a 

 fish ; and of these, from six in the morning till dark in the evening, 

 some hundred weight were taken. The bait used was a large red 

 worm ; the spot had been baited on the morning and evening 

 previous to the day of fishing with boiled wheat and tallow melters 

 graves mixed together. Mr. Yarrell also states, that in some of 

 the lakes in Ireland abundance of these fish are taken, many of so 

 large a size as to weigh upwards of twelve or fourteen pounds 

 each. The ground being for a fortnight previously baited with 

 graves and other coarse food, after which it was by no means un- 

 common to catch several hundred weight, which are distributed 

 among the poorer classes of the neighbourhood who split and dry 

 them with great care, afterwards eating them with their pota- 

 toes. 



But although baiting the ground adds much to an angler's sport 

 in bream fishing, thereby diminishing a very heavy tax on his pati- 

 ence, as when properly baited he generally finds the fish assembled, 

 in a company on the spot, instead of having to wait an hour or 

 more for the arrival of a scattered few, and even such few may 

 possibly not arrive till his patience being fairly worn out he has 

 shifted his quarters to some other part of the pond, probably only 

 to act the same scene over again : yet in spite of all this, if he be 

 acquainted with the best stands, or from a thorough scientific 

 knowledge can form a pretty accurate judgment as to the most 

 likely localities, he will be pretty sure somewhere or other to ma- 

 nage to fall in with sport before the day is over, if the waters are 

 well stocked, and the weather favorable for his purpose. When 

 angling under these circumstances two rods at least should be 

 used, for having to wait till the fish in roving about shall chance 

 to light upon his bait, one may perhaps be passed unheeded by, 

 whilst the other might not escape notice ; and should the fish bite 

 so keenly that one rod is quite as much as can be properly attended 

 to, nothing can be easier than to lay the others aside, till its ser- 

 vices may be again required. 



Be careful in bream as in carp fishing, to keep well back from 

 the brink, and above all things never permit your shadows to fall 

 upon the water. The best plan is that laid down by Walton for 

 fishing with these rods, which I will transcribe in his own words. 



