Two Preserved and cased Record Bream, caught by J. J. Perkins at Eynsham in the River Thames on 20th September 1928 Weight 10lbs 13¼oz & 9lb 14¼oz.
Preserved and cased by J. Cooper & Sons of London.
BREAM
Latin name - Abramis brama
Colour - its back is dark brown, the sides (flanks) are a lighter yellow brown and its belly is silvery.
Size - Adults are 25 - 45 cm long (10 - 16ins). Bream are slow to grow and usually take 11 years to reach maximum size
Characteristics - The bream has a humped back, a deep (wide) body and a forked tail.
Diet - It eats worms and insect larvae from the bottom of the river. It feeds with a sucking action.
Habitat - Bream like slow flowing rivers. It is a shy fish and lives and moves in shoals (groups) near the bottom of the river.
How fished for - Bream is caught using a float and/or ledgering technique. Ledgering involves the use of a lead weight to keep the bait near to the bottom of the water. Baits include maggots, worms and bread.
Interesting facts - Bream are now only eaten in Europe but were once a main part of the diet of rural peasants in Britain.
British Record - 11lb 2oz (5.4kg)