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Bleak
Common name:
Bleak
Latin name: Alburnus alburnas
Family: Cyprinidae
Current
UK Rod Caught Coarse Fish Record
Bleak (Alburnus
alburnas) 4oz 9dr 1998 D Flack from the River Lark in
Cambridgeshire
Description and Habitat of Bleak
The Bleak is a member of the cyprinid family. It is a slender fish
with an elongated and flat sided body. It has a pointed head with
large eyes and a small mouth that is turned upwards.
Colouration of the bleak is generally a shiny silvery colour. The body
is covered with large scales (when handling the fish be aware that the
scales are loose and very easily dislodged) the back and flanks are
silvery blue - green, merging into silver down the sides to a white
belly. The lateral line is complete and the fins are pointed and
colourless with a long anal fin concave at the edge and forked tail.
Bleak can be found in most streams, lakes and the slower moving rivers
but prefers open waters. It is a shoal fish and often found in quite
large shoals, living and feeding in the upper layers of the water. Its
diet consists of a variety of aquatic invertebrates and insect larvae
such as midge, caddis-fly, bloodworm, may-fly larvae, small
crustaceans and molluscs.
The bleak spawns in May or June in shallow waters over stones or weed
beds. It grows to a length of about 6 to 8 inches and the life span is
around 4 or 5 years
The bleak is sometimes mistaken for the young of other fish species
such as bream and silver bream but the bleak can easily be
distinguished though its pointed upward turned mouth.
The Compleat Angler, by Izaak Walton 1653
The fourth day-continued
Of the Gudgeon, the Ruffe, and the Bleak
Chapter XV
There is
also a BLEAK or fresh-water Sprat; a fish that is ever in motion, and
therefore called by some the river-swallow; for just as you shall
observe the swallow to be, most evenings in summer, ever in motion,
making short and quick turns when he flies to catch flies, in the air,
by which he lives; so does the Bleak at the top of the water. Ausonius
would have called him Bleak from his whitish colour: his back is of a
pleasant sad or sea-water-green; his belly, white and shining as the
mountain snow. And doubtless, though we have the fortune, which virtue
has in poor people, to be neglected, yet the Bleak ought to be much
valued, though we want Allamot salt, and the skill that the Italians
have, to turn them into anchovies. This fish may be caught with a
Pater-noster line; that is, six or eight very small hooks tied along
the line, one half a foot above the other: I have seen five caught
thus at one time; and the bait has been gentles, than which none is
better.
Or this fish may be caught with a fine small artificial fly, which is
to be of a very sad brown colour, and very small, and the hook
answerable. There is no better sport than whipping for Bleaks in a
boat, or on a bank, in the swift water, in a summer's evening, with a
hazel top about five or six foot long, and a line twice the length of
the rod. I have heard Sir Henry Wotton say, that there be many that in
Italy will catch swallows so, or especially martins; this bird-angler
standing on the top of a steeple to do it, and with the line twice so
long as I have spoken of. And let me tell you, scholar, that both
Martins and Bleaks be most excellent meat
Fishing
Methods for catching Bleak:
Bleak can
be fished for and caught on light float tackle. Using a float rod or
whip, place most of the shot under the float so that the bait falls
through the water slowly. Using maggot as bait put 2 or 3 on a size 16
or 14 hook. With a shoal of bleak in front of you you will find you
get bites fast and furious, even catching on maggot skins. A few loose
fed maggot will keep them interested.
The Bleak
is not usually targeted by the general angler but because they swim in
large shoals and are easy to catch the match angler can soon whip up a
big weight ' bleak bashing'. (this doesn't mean beating them up it
means catching lots of bleak one after the other.) Bleak can be fished
for and caught on light float tackle. Using a float rod or whip, place
most of the shot under the float so that the bait falls through the
water slowly. Using maggot as bait put 2 or 3 on a size 16 or 14 hook.
With a shoal of bleak in front of you you will find you get bites fast
and furious, even catching on maggot skins. A few loose fed maggot
will keep them interested. Like the
gudgeon, the bleak has saved the day for many a match angler from blanking.
Baits for catching Bleak:
Maggot, pinkies, caster, small red worm, brandling, pieces of worm, small pieces of
bread, bread punch
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