The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

When does a skimmer bream become just a bream and why are they called skimmers?

Match anglers used to call them skimmers as they could be skimmed across the surface quickly. Really small ones were known as razor blades. As to when a skimmer becomes a proper bream, I don't think there's a definitive point. For my part, up to two pounds or so they're skimmers; over that, bream.

gloucesteroldspot wrote:Match anglers used to call them skimmers as they could be skimmed across the surface quickly. Really small ones were known as razor blades. As to when a skimmer becomes a proper bream, I don't think there's a definitive point. For my part, up to two pounds or so they're skimmers; over that, bream.

Excellent. Thanks GOS. :thumb:

I'd agree with that GOS. It is about that weight that they tend to take on a more bronze than silver look.

I have watched Bream smashing into shoals of Fry on Landridge has anyone heard of a Bream taking a Livebait ?

Bob

It's also about the upper limit for skimming them to hand. I think the body thickness increases with maturity, resulting in a more solid fish which is perhaps why they don't skim so well above that weight. Certainly the biggest ones I've caught couldn't be skimmed, and they were taken on heavy carp tackle.

BobH wrote:I have watched Bream smashing into shoals of Fry on Landridge has anyone heard of a Bream taking a Livebait ?

Bob

Yes - at Aldenham Reservoir in the days before they lowered the level to kill off the marginal weed. In August and September vast shoals of small fish sheltered in these weeds, and most evenings perch would patrol the dam wall, slashing into the fry. On occasions I spotted bream among the perch, behaving in the same fashion. It was almost as if they'd become part of the shoal.

Peter Stone wrote about seeing big bream chasing bleak on the Thames in Waterlog.

Not unusual for a lot of species we don't usually use fish baits for. The carp in Cyprus often used to take deadbaits intended for freshwater bass.

I had a bream on a dace deadbait while fishing for zander on the River Trent last week, and just after Christmas I caught a barbel on a 2'' section of smelt meant for a big old chub, again out of the Trent.

I feel I ought to leap to the defence of Norfolk's staple fish - there are many anglers in this part of the world who fish for nothing but bream - but somehow I just can't. As a blank saver they are OK but I only ever suffer a little droop of disappointment when I realise the run I've had is a bream and not a carp or chub. That being said it may partly be because they are so darned easy to catch round here - if there was a tad more skill in enticing them I'd probably like them more.

Jim