BARBEL AND BREAM. 51 



being from July to October, in deeps where there is a clayey 

 or sandy bottom. I have known the Bream to attain a weight 

 of eight pounds, Blakey says that in the North of Europe, 

 they reach twenty pounds, but I fancy these giants are some- 

 what apocryphal. The best baits are lob, marsh, and red 

 worms, gentles, paste and greaves. The rods and tackle have 

 been described in the remarks on Barbel. The place you 

 intend fishing should be well ground-baited the day previous; 

 if you intend using the "travelling" float, it would be better 

 at the same time, to ascertain the proper depth of the 

 swim ; it will save time and trouble and prevent you disturb- 

 ing the fish the following day, when you commence angling. 

 Allow the bait to swim close to the bottom, strike directly 

 you perceive a bite, (the float often rising up, instead of going 

 down), and proceed as directed when Barbel-fishing. Bream- 

 fishing in still water is pursued in a similar manner. Early 

 in the morning and late in the evening are usually the best 

 times. Indeed, one enthusiastic sportsman of my acquaint- 

 ance camped out, in a tent, on the banks of the Ouse, for 

 several nights in succession, so as to be at work with the rod 

 sufficiently early each morning ; this, of course, was going 

 rather to the extreme. I have had extremely good sport in 

 the middle of the day. Walton-on-Thames is a noted station 

 for Bream, large quantities being taken every season. I have 

 also landed some very fine ones at Weybridge ; at Halidays 

 Hole I caught sixteen weighing from two to six pounds each, 

 in a couple of hours, with the Leger and lobworm. 



The Bream is also taken with Roach-tackle, but requires 

 some care in playing. He will try a variety of schemes to 

 get away ; he will often turn sulky and hang to the bottom 

 for some time ; then make a bolt under a bank, or into the 

 weeds, if any should be near. If that does not succeed, he 

 will come up sideways ; requiring some strain on the tackle 

 to lift him, the great resistance to the water offered by his 

 broad side causing the novice to believe that he has hooked a 

 monster of the deep. When he rises near the surface, he 

 turns over edgeways, the resistance is over, and, behold, it is 

 but a Bream ! 



