10 



A WOEM FAEM AT NOTTINGHAM. 



An enormous quantity of lob -worms are annually 

 used by the barbel fishers of London and the Midland 

 counties. The following is my report, published in Land 

 and Water, No. 602, p. 88,, August 4, 1877, of a visit I 

 made to a worm farm at Nottingham, the proprietor of 

 which is wtII known and respected by all the many 

 anglers, especially barbel fishermen, who deal with him. 



When at Nottingham a few days ago, on the Dynamite 

 inquiry, I was much pleased at the discovery of, to me, 

 an entirely new industry ; namely, the rearing and 

 education of worms for the purposes of anglers. My 

 friend Mr. Jardine first mentioned to me that Mr. 

 Wells, fishing-tackle maker, of Sussex Street, Notting- 

 ham, carried on a business and trade in w^orms, and he 

 advised me to call on him. Mr. Savage, of Nottingham, 

 kindly accompanied me to Mr. Wells' shop, at which 

 can be purchased excellent fishing-tackle of all sorts 

 and kinds, especially that suited to Thames and trout 

 bottom fishers. Mr. Wells also carries on the occupa- 

 tion of barber. 



Mr. Wells has several people in his employ who 

 collect worms every favourable night during the year. 

 He sells the following kinds of worms ; viz., the lob or 

 dew worm, the cockspur, and the ring-tailed brandling. 

 In dry weather worms are very scarce ; the men have 

 to water the ground for them. In wot weather the 

 worms are better and heavier. They are caught in the 

 meadows and pasture lands in the neighbourhood ; the 

 worm supply is not falling off. Mr. Wells complains they 

 are building over many of the waste lands, and thus 

 diminishing his hunting-ground for w^orms. Mr. Savage 



