56 The North Country Angler. 



CHAP. XV. 

 Of the Twinge, Earwig, or Twichbell. 



JL HIS is an insect that resembles the creeper, 

 or water-cricket ; well known to gardeners, 

 especially the florists, to whom it is very trouble- 

 some, creeping up the stalks of flowers, and eat- 

 ing into the very heart of them. I have often 

 gone to such places of a river, where I could get 

 no crt-epers; which has been a great disappoint- 

 ment to me, though never unprovided with other 

 baits. 



As I was once seeking for grubs, I saw three 

 or four of these twinges, which I catched and 

 put into my creeper horn ; I put one of them on 

 my hook, as I used to do a creeper and catched 

 a trout with it ; which encouraged me to make 

 further trials, with pretty good success; and when 

 the creeper season was over, I have used the 

 twinge in stream and shade-fishing. I generally 

 put them on a hook with a pair of wings, and a 

 bristle to keep it up, and make it look like the 

 body of a fly, and have got good fish with them. 

 I would not, however, recommend this as an 

 extraordinary killing bait ; but only as a thing 

 that may be used upon occasion^ when better 

 baits are not to be had. 



