76 TROUT-FISHING IN BROOKS 



separate stickles sufficient trial. And this re- 

 minds me of the importance of fishing apparently 

 trifling runs under banks, parts of a main stickle, 

 and very apt to be skipped. It is surprising what 

 small depressions trout will lie in during summer, 

 and unexpected luck may result from casting just 

 on top of the little run-in, and allowing the worm 

 to work down these small places. Last season I 

 had a 12% oz. trout from just such a place. Narrow 

 guts are parts where the brook is extremely 

 confined, yet moving slowly. Fish them up ; 

 casting into the centre is sufficient, and raise and 

 sink the worm a little as it travels down. There 

 is often a succession of breaks in a run of in- 

 considerable depth where small depressions occur. 

 Into these let the bait slide, sinking it a little as 

 it slides over and in. 



But it would be too tedious to try to describe 

 all the intricacies of a small stream which suggest 

 worm-fishing ; the understanding them can only 

 be gained by experience. A word, however, 

 about road-bridge pools. Under many roads but 

 ordinary quick shallows will be noticed, but 

 occasionally one has the luck to hit on an ideal 

 place of this sort. Such would be a deep (perhaps 

 2 ft. to 3 ft.), slow, thickish-looking stickle whose 

 easier sides work into eddies off the sides of the 



