BREAM. ROACH AND RUDD 



739 



reaches above tidal \\-ater, and at Hamp- 

 ton, Sunburv and Shepperton ; but al- 

 though in bright weather one may see 

 shoals of Roach, and occasionally barbel, 

 in the Thames, I cannot remember catch- 

 ing sight of a Bream in that river. 



Bream belong to the Carp family, 

 and are easily recognised b}' their depth 

 of side, their silver scales, and a touch of 

 dull red on the fins. They are fond of 

 ri\-ers and pools with a mudd}' bed, and 

 frequent most of the rivers of Eastern 

 England, some of our canals, and many 

 lakes and ponds in the English counties. 

 They haunt the deep water of the Trent, 

 and are fairly common in the Derwent 

 above Derb^^ 



There is not a very marked difference 

 in the Bream of clear water and those that 

 li\'e in sluggish, discoloured rivers, though 

 this species is subject to slight variation in 



culinary value of Bream there is not much 

 to be said. It is not a toothsome fish, 

 though I ha\'e eaten it, with more or 

 less relish, during yachting trips on the 

 Broads. The mud-loving fish, such as the 

 Bream, Carp, Tench and Rudd, are more 

 interesting to fishermen and naturalists 

 than to cooks, but are not of much 

 account in the commercial sense. Sea 

 Bream are. dainty fish in comparison with 

 the Bream of fresh water. 



The habits of Bream are scarcely so 

 well known as tliose of other common 

 river fish. It is fairly certain that they 

 spawn somewhat late in the spring, and 

 that they are not in prime condition till 

 well after midsummer. In winter they 

 are sluggish, and seem disinclined to feed 

 freely, though now and again I have 

 caught an odd Bream or two while fishing 

 for Roach in cold weather. As a rule, 



A WEEDY HAUNT OF ROACH. 



colour. The White Bream, or Bream Flat, 

 found in Ireland, and in some of the 

 eastern counties of England, has bigger 

 scales than the Common Bream, a tinge of 

 red on the body, and redder fins. Bream 

 from Hickling Broad are said to be more 

 silvery than the Bream of Wroxham, and 

 they are better when cooked. But of the 



the hottest days give the biggest " takes " 

 of Bream, which is well for those anglers 

 who take their holidays in August. Frost 

 appears to benumb Bream, and it is 

 probable that, like Carp, they burrow in 

 the mud during severe cold. 



In the height of summer, Bream swim 

 in big companies, and a procession of 



