THE BREAM. 99 



not be so fine as that nsed in lake fishing. The weights plumbing the 

 float should be few and far between, and not near the hook. The hook 

 I use is a No. 6, needle eye, stout shanked, Redditch make. It is not 

 whipped on the gut, but the latter, after being thoroughly softened by 

 soaking in hot water, is passed through the eye of the hook, a knot made 

 in its end, and attached to the shank by means of two half hitches drawn 

 tight. And now a word about the travelling float. Let it be a very 

 light cork one, of about eight inches in length, marked with coloured lines 

 on its upper part, for this reason : the bream is a shy-biting fish, and 

 usually, in common with nearly all flat fish, it takes the bait standing 

 almost, as it were, on its head. After taking the bait it rises, but before 

 it has risen in the water high enough (if the shots are far enough away 

 from the hook) to feel the weight it has succeeded in nearly swallowing 

 the bait. As soon as it feels the weight of the lead it invariably com- 

 mences to eject the bait, and the float at the same instant, of course, 

 rises and reveals a previously hidden bar of colour. Strike on the 

 instant, not strongly, but with a wrist motion, sharply, and before your 

 fish has had time to blow the bait out he is fighting for life and 

 liberty with the steel through his upper lip. Always, also, fish with the 

 same line, rod, and float, if possible, for these fish. You will find the 

 eye and apprehensive faculties form, by thoroughly accustoming them to 

 one sort of tackle, a sort of mental index of what is going on below, out 

 of the minutest motion of the line or float, which may be acted on with 

 the greatest nicety. On the other hand, if the tackle is constantly being 

 varied, this mechanical precision cannot be attained or maintained. 

 And this precision is absolutely necessary in fishing for bream if the 

 angler would take " fysshe." 



Of course, much of what has been said about stream fishing applies to 

 angling in still water for these fish. The difference consists principally in 

 the necessity for an extremity of delicacy of tackle, which, of course, 

 would be injudicious amongst the varied exigencies of a stream. In still 

 water a piece of quill an inch long is amply sufficient float, and one shot is 

 enough weight to cock it. The hook gut and the succeeding four or five 

 lengths should be made from the ends of the gut usually tied up in 

 webbing when purchased in the hank, improperly deemed useless, 

 from which I have made some of the finest and best lines for roach and 

 bream fishing. It should be soaked thoroughly and straightened between 

 the thumb and finger until it is quite clear. The most desirable sort of 

 rod is a light, long bamboo. As to baits, for lake bream fishing worms, 

 slugs, leeches, gentles, meal worms, and paste are all available. For 

 ground bait, any of those recommended for roach or carp are good for 

 bream. Greaves are both good ground bait and hook bait, and a 



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