BAIT PISHING. 115 



ter there ; but for every other purpose I consider my own plan the 

 best. Walton's plan is set forth in the Complete Angler, in the 

 following words : " Put your hook into him (the lob worm) some- 

 what above the middle, and out again below the middle ; having so 

 done draw your worm above the arming of your hook, then put 

 the point of your hook into the very head of the worm till it come 

 out near to the place where the point of the hook first came out ; 

 and then draw back that part of the worm which was above 

 the shank or arming of the hook, and so fish with it." 



The same sort of rod should be used for bait fishing as for trol- 

 ling with the minnow, and the line should be equally stout. The 

 gut foot line should be at least two yards long, and the upper links 

 pretty strong ; the last but one should have a double swivel, to 

 which the hook link should be also attached, and this link should 

 be of very fine gut, as a trout is shy of gorging a bait when stout 

 gut is used. Care also must be taken to keep it clean, as it will 

 become furred with using, when it will be more easily discerned by 

 the fish. 



The foot line should he leaded in proportion to the strength of 

 the current in the same way as for minnow trolling, only that a far 

 less quantity will suffice ; what will be required is to have a suffi- 

 cient weight to keep the bait constantly under water, without sink- 

 ing it too suddenly to the bottom 



In worm fishing the success will depend in a great measure in 

 knowing the best places to make your casts ; otherwise much time 

 and labour may be fruitlessly thrown away. Much time I have 

 always remarked is lost by beginners from their always showing a 

 marked preference for the large deep pools, in which though trout 

 may be taken they never bite so boldly as in the scours and stickles, 

 or the rippling runs at the head of a pool ; in fact, except when 

 the waters are discoloured, little can be done in the still deeps 

 with a worm, nor even then unless the banking system is resorted 

 to in the manner practiced by honest Izaak and his scholar, when 

 they spent their time so agreeably under the sycamore tree ; a 

 mode of fishing that is rather tedious, and not to be compared to 

 the more active process of worm trolling ; for J know no more apt 

 term applicable to this active mode of worm fishing, which in fact 

 very much resembles minnow trolling, only that in the more rapid 

 parts the worm should be simply drifted onwards by the current, 

 or slightly checked to put the bait in lively motion ; at the other 



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