106 BRITISH SPORTING FISHES. 



Like the carp, he can be conveyed long distances 

 to market, and, if not sold, can be brought back to 

 await another occasion for sale. Bream, as a 

 stew fish, has been appreciated since the time of 

 Chaucer ; and Walton, in his admiration, refers 

 to him as " large and stately." Bream, like tench, 

 are fond of still, quiet waters, with soft soil 

 bottoms, and in which they find their chief 

 sustenance. The fish has been known to attain 

 to 17 pounds in weight, though this of course is 

 exceptional. There is a French proverb to the 

 effect that " He that hath breams in his pond is 

 able to bid his friend welcome " ; and if the bream 

 is toothsome, he is equally good as a sporting 

 fish. 



These are some of the fresh-water fish which 

 once occupied the stews in this country, and 

 might with profit do so again. 



