“Forgotten fish cast a silvery spell on my day with the Doctor”
WHILE certain fish are as popular as free beer with anglers, other, smaller species remain sadly neglected – unless you’re Dr Mark Everard. He’s a man on something of a mission to broaden our angling tastes.
You have to take your hat off to anyone brave enough to write books on gudgeon, ruffe and silver bream, but Mark has been doing just that, with Routledge Books set to publish his fascinating mini species trilogy later this year!
Mark is one of those anglers you treasure a day out with. You can guarantee unexpected twists, laughter and at least one “well I never!” moment.
After decades of writing and fishing, his enthusiasm shows no signs of waning, even if today’s invite involves a blustery, slightly grubby scene at Bridgwater Docks.
Random junk and 40mph winds, you see, are a small price for superb silver bream fishing. Indeed, in the smaller, deeper dock where fishing is still permitted, there are rumours of truly clonking fish. No, not skimmers or hybrids but true silvers of over 1lb.
Mark makes a convincing case for these fish as we tackle up. “They’re stunning and so undervalued!” he explains.
“You have the profile of the bream, but without all that slime, and muscle power closer to that of roach or hybrids.”
To my slight embarrassment, I have to do a quick ID check with Mark at my first catches. A true silver bream is easily distinguished by its larger proportioned eye than that of a ‘common’ bream, not to mention a less extended and more “roachy” mouth, plus a hint of amber on the fins.
It’s brilliant fishing here, as we compare notes. My pinkie and whip tactics get the numbers, while Mark’s pole fished bread baits single out some proper ‘net’ fish. Another favourite tactic of his is a scaled-down version of the lift method.
With an elegant diamondshaped body and brilliant colours, silver bream are easy fish to love, fighting superbly on pole gear. Even with two hours’ spoils disappearing in a sudden, comical keepnet disaster, we enjoy a bumper session.
All of which leads me to wonder why so little fuss is made of these fish. If they were specimen roach, the place would be rammed!
By the afternoon, we suddenly remember that things such as food and warmth are also important, and it’s time to pack up – such is the spell these forgotten fish have cast on the day. I must get Mark to save me a book!
“If these fish were specimen roach, the place would be rammed!