Angling chat: Meet the Marmite of the fishing world

Columnist Steve Penticost with a nice Sussex bream

The common bream (Abramis Brama) has gained a strange reputation.

Ask a carp angler what he thinks, and the reply will be unprintable in a family newspaper such as this. Ask a match angler the same question and he will say “Yes please, the more the merrier”.

Our humble native bream has become the Marmite of the fish world, you either love them or loathe them. The question is why?

One reason is that when it comes to a sporting contest the poor old bream is way down on the fighting level.

Hook a 6lb carp or barbel and it will tear around like a wild thing, trying at every point to get free or drive you into the nearest snag. Hook the same size bream and the best it can do is nod its head a bit and then wallow towards you in meek surrender.

If you hook one in a river it will make a bit more effort by turning its broad body into the flow. At least they try.

Of course, this lack of fight is perfect for the match angler who is solely concerned with maximum weight, and a large number of big bream that come in quickly is nigh on perfect. Maximum weight, minimum effort.