SPECIES ID GUIDE

Scientific name: Abramis brama

ID: A deep-bodied fish species, bream start their life as silver coloured fish (often known as skimmers) and as they mature they turn a stunning bronze/brown colour.

Where to find them: Bream live in most rivers, lakes and canals. On stillwaters (including commercials) look for a flat-bottomed area in deeper water where they can feed easily in large shoals. River bream are usually found in the edge of the currents where the main flow meets the slower water. For canals, you need to find the big, wide areas such as turning bays.

Bream have a protruding mouth which allows them to dig deep into the bottom silt in search of their favourite foods, and they will eat almost anything including bloodworm, snails, and other insects.

Favourite baits: Anything yellow like corn, dyed meat, boilies and pellets seems to be readily picked up by bream, plus baits which mimic their natural feed like dead red maggots and dendrobaena worms.

Best time to catch: Spring and early autumn are best, but bream do feed all year around.

Record weight: 22lb 11oz – now that’s massive (we’d be happy to catch them above 4lb!)