104 



MODERN SEA FISHING 



LUGWORM 



very fair bait for sea bream ; by reason 

 of its softness it should be cut out and 

 placed in the air to dry for an hour or 

 two before being used. A whole limpet 

 threaded up the shank of a hook, fol- 

 lowed by a lugworm, makes a very 

 killing bait for codfish. It is illus- 

 trated in Chapter XIII. 



Lugworms, which are sometimes, 

 but rarely, called lobworms, take the 

 highest rank among baits for sea fish. 

 Theyaredark reddish-brown in colour. 

 Their form may be identified from 

 Mr. Pritchett's careful drawing. They 

 exude a nasty yellow fluid which stains 

 the fingers, and the narrow end of 

 them, which should be nipped off, con- 

 tains little else than sand. A lugworm 

 lives in sand, through which it eats its 

 way, extracting any available nutri- 

 ment, and throwing up above the 

 surface the sand which has passed 

 through its alimentary canal. It often 

 grows three or four times as large as 

 the dew or lobworm of our gardens. 



Lugs are obtained without much 

 difficulty by digging wherever the casts 

 are noticed ; but be very smart in 

 pouncing upon them when they are 

 thrown up, for they bury themselves 

 in the sand with great rapidity. Mr. 

 Wilcocks has stated that these baits 

 must never be cut, because the liquid 



