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. 
