Species › Europe, UK & Ireland · Freshwater › Common Bream

Freshwater

Common Bream

Abramis brama · Bronze bream, Skimmer (young), Carp bream

Water temp
61–75°F
Peak season
May–Sep
Best light
Low light
IGFA record
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Common Bream (Bronze coloured Abramis brama.jpg)

Photo: Piet Spaans (viridiflavus) · CC BY-SA 2.5 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Common bream are tall, flattened fish with a small underslung mouth, a long anal fin and a slimy coat; young "skimmers" are silver, while adults turn deep bronze. They are native to most of Europe north of the Alps and Pyrenees, from Britain and France east to the Urals and Caspian basin, in lakes, canals, reservoirs and slow rivers. Bream move in large shoals, grazing bloodworm, snails and plant material from soft bottoms mostly in low light and after dark, often rolling at the surface before feeding. Anglers prize them because a feeding shoal can produce 100 lb (45 kg) catches, and individual fish of 15 lb (7 kg) or more are serious specimens.

Typical size2–5 lb (1–2.5 kg); 14–22 in
Trophy12 lb+ (5.5 kg+)
Table farePoor — bony and muddy-tasting; catch & release in Western Europe, eaten in Eastern Europe smoked or dried

Where & when

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Best from late spring through early autumn with a spring pre-spawn peak in May–June; warm, overcast nights and a ripple are classic bream weather, while winter fishing is slow.

Lough Ree, IrelandShannon lough; huge bream shoalsFerry Meadows, United KingdomPeterborough lakes; specimen breamLake IJsselmeer, NetherlandsVast shallow lake with big bream

How to catch

Groundbait feederCast a large open-end feeder packed with sweet groundbait and particles to the same spot every few minutes to build a carpet, with worm, corn or a small boilie on a 2–3 ft hooklink. Fish into dark and watch for slow lifts and drop-backs on a quivertip or bobbin.
Waggler or slider floatOn lakes and slow rivers, fish a waggler or slider float with the bait just touching bottom over a bed of groundbait, feeding little and often. Bream bites lift or slowly bury the float; strike at the slow sail-away.

Gear

Rod12–13' feeder rod or 13' match rod
Reel3000–4000 spinning
Line6–8 lb mono main; 4–6 lb hooklink

Lures

Small jig (rarely)Micro soft plastic (rarely)Bloodworm imitation fly

Baits

WormsSweetcornMaggotsPelletsSmall boilies

Regulations

Coarse fishing in England and Wales requires a rod licence and venue permission, with a river close season in spring; most European countries require a national licence and a club card, and bream are usually returned. Rules vary by country.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: not listed. State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

What is the best bait for bream?

Worms, sweetcorn and maggots over a bed of sweet, fishmeal-laced groundbait are the classic combination, with small boilies and pellets picking out bigger fish on pressured waters. Bream are shoal feeders, so keep feed going in to hold them and fish at dusk and into dark when they move onto the baited area.

Bite forecast — Common Bream

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Common Bream.

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