WORM-FISHING. IO9 



the numbers of fish run, primarily to the circumstance of 

 its being impossible properly to conceal so large a 

 number of hooks in a single worm, and to their being 

 consequently seen by the fish. This was the principal 

 drawback to the four-hook tackle. As a minor inconve- 

 nience, Mr. Stewart also mentions that, from the number 

 of hooks often fixed in the fish's mouth when landed, a 

 certain waste of time necessarily occurred. 



" These being the incidental disadvantages of Mr. 

 Stewart's plan, its advantages were, (i) that the worm 

 was more quickly baited than with the single hook, (2) 

 that it lived much longer — with the large single hook it 

 dies almost directly — (3) that it presented a much more 

 natural appearance to the fish, and (4) that, owing to 

 the superior penetrating tendency of small over large 

 hooks, much fewer fish escaped after being once hooked, 

 whilst it became possible to use the finest gut, which 

 could not be safely done with large heavy hooks. This 

 of itself is an advantage the importance of which can 

 hardly be over-estimated in Trout fishing in clear 

 streams. 



" As regards the other point — the killing powers — my 

 own experience of the tackle was that when fishing pro- 

 perly up stream, and with a shortish line, hardly any fish 

 escaped at all, whilst with the large single hook, I think 

 the experience of most of my brother anglers will bear 

 me out when I say that fully 50 per cent, of runs were 

 'missed.' On the other hand, I fully recognised the 

 practical force of the objections mentioned by Mr. 

 Stewart, and accordingly I endeavoured to construct a 

 tackle similar in principle but different in detail, which 

 should combine all the foregoing advantages, without 



