THE BEEAM. 151 



hanging down), and then strike firmly, but not too hard, for 

 you are fishing with fine tackle, and might break it with too 

 hard a stroke. When you feel that you have hooked your 

 fish play him carefully and look out for squalls, for he has 

 such a tendency to bore downward ; if, however, you play 

 him firmly and keep a tight line, you will soon tire him out, 

 heavy as he is (and he does feel very heavy on a line, his very 

 deep sides holding against the water). In a very few minutes 

 he turns on his side, and the landing-net is slipped under him. 

 I was once playing a big bream, and I had got him exhausted, 

 and a companion slipped the net under him. The net was 

 very tender, and the fish went right through it, making 

 another bolt. Playing a heavy fish in that predicament 

 was a little bit of change in the sport, but I succeeded at last 

 in landing him. 



The bream may be taken with the ledger the same as recom- 

 mended for the barbel; in fact the instruction in worm fishing 

 for one will answer in every respect for the other, except that 

 the bream likes a smaller bait, and you use a smaller hook. 

 The white bream are often taken with the same tackle, the 

 same baits, and in the same swims as the roach ; they very 

 seldom exceed a pound in weight and are greatly inferior to 

 the carp bream. 



