Page:British Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fresh-water Fishes.djvu/115

COMMON BREAM Norfolk Broads, and when I was a boy I remember seeing hundreds caught in one day, only to be thrown away. I have known a large catch of these poor sporting fish to be used as manure. It bites with annoying frequency, and one gets rather tired of landing so many specimens which afford such little resistance. Maggots, worms, or pieces of raw meat may be recommended for bait, and it is advisable to ground-bait the swim overnight with either greaves or boiled wheat. In deep slow-moving streams

float-tackle can be used, but where large Bream occur (and this species attains a weight of several pounds), the gut- trace must be of the best quality, and from four to six feet in length. The Bream is a peculiar biting fish, as when it seizes the bait, it rises with it towards the surface. As it does this, the float falls flat on the surface of the water, and as soon as this happens the strike should be made, as the fish is already hooked. Early morning and evening twilight are the best times to catch Bream, as they seldom bite in daytime, except in large lakes, or 97