Targeting bream and skimmers is a crucial skill to master for any commercial fishery angler. It’s a lovely way to catch fish in its own right, but can also be essential on a summer match when the carp aren’t feeding. Unless you are sat on a pile of fish it’s rare to catch carp for a full five or six hours. Typically you’ll have an early burst of carp then two or three slow hours before they start feeding again in the last 90 minutes or so. That middle part is where targeting bream and skimmers can be brilliant. When they average 1lb to 2lb apiece you don’t need many to equal a carp. Anything from 10lb to 50lb of them can be possible on the right venue. Sometimes they are the difference between winning and losing. 

On a big open-water venue like Meadowlands Fishery, where I am today, there are stacks of bream that are largely ignored in the summer. However, target them for just a few hours and 50lb or more is possible if you get the tactics right. They are far more numerous than carp on this lake and a much more reliable target wherever you sit. I’ve come for a session on Lambsdown Lake to pass on some tips for putting a big weight of skimmers together… fast!