Bream
Abramis brama
Deep, slab-sided shoal fish that feed hard over soft bottoms.
Also known as: Estonian latikas, Finnish lahna, Norwegian brasme, Swedish braxen.
- Typical size
- 30 to 50 cm
- A big one
- Over 60 cm and past 3 kg is a big slab
- Where it lives
- Slow rivers and lakes with soft, silty bottoms
- Best time
- Warm months, often best at night and first light
- Common methods
- Feeder or float with worm, corn, and plenty of groundbait
About the bream
Bream are big, slow, deep-bodied shoal fish that patrol soft bottoms with their heads down, hoovering up whatever the bed holds. Find a feeding shoal and you can catch steadily for hours. They are not fast or acrobatic, but a net full of heavy slabs is a satisfying end to a session.
Catching bream
Groundbait is the key, lay a bed of feed and keep topping it up to hold the shoal in one place. Fish a bait hard on the bottom and be patient, bream often move through in waves. Warm, still summer nights and the hour after dawn are prime.
Before you fish: closed seasons, minimum sizes and catch limits differ by country and by water, and they change. Always check the current local rules and buy any licence you need before you go.
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