272 THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



There is a black-headed worm, which is probably of another species, 

 called by some anglers the blue head. It is of a sheeny bluish appear- 

 ance throughout, and is, no doubt, one of the best of worms for trout- 

 fishing when scoured well. There is, however, a difficulty in getting it, 

 and my experience is that very dark stiff loam alone produces it in 

 abundance. 



The red worm, or cockspur, is a delightful little fellow, and is found 

 in rotten manure heaps. The brandling is also a pretty worm, but has 

 a remarkably fetid smell. Whilst the red worm is really a splendid lure, 

 the brandling is not often so. Both are too well known to need any 

 description. 



The March worm is a great favourite with many anglers, but I do not 

 esteem it as at all approaching the foregoing in popularity with trout. 

 It is of a pale blue colour, with a whitish knot a little above the centre. 

 It is very plentiful, but I do not care much for it. If properly scoured 

 it assumes a bright pink hue, and will kill fish in small waters. 



Now, a word as to the storing and keeping of worms in good condition- 

 Get a large box, and into it place old pieces of sacking or any material 

 of that nature without dye, torn into small pieces. Put your worms on 

 the top, and throw in a good lot of earth of the ordinary garden sort. In 

 cold weather place a sack over the receptacle ; do so in hot weather also, 

 to keep out the sunshine, which is inimical to the worms. Look them 

 over carefully every few days, throwing away the dead ones. 



To scour them, the moss above-named is best ; they ought to be in it 

 some three days at least before using. Place them at the top. Walton 

 talks of the yolk of egg as good food for worms, but such fanciful fare 

 is really not worth speaking about. Perhaps, before quitting the subject, 

 the following recipe I discovered in manuscript in the Sloane collection 

 will prove interesting : 



" A wonderfull bayte for Trowtes and Thymallos. Draw a black hen, 

 put into the belly of it three yolks of eggs and as much saffron as 

 pease ; then sowe up the hole, and bury the hen in a dunghill of hors 

 dung for three or four dayes, till it putrefit or rott, and there will appeare 

 little yellow worms in it. When you have a mind to fish fasten of those 

 wormes to your hooks. Keep the rest of the worms in a pot or vessoll. 

 It is a wonderful experiment." This is taken from a work by John 

 Hooker, the name of which is illegible, and the copyist adds : "I think 

 the like may be made wyth a Herne, for it is said that a Herne hath an 

 attractive power to draw fish to it ; and the eggs of Hernes may be 

 better than the yolks of Hen eggs." He also says, "Wormes sprincled 

 with powder of camphir makes a good bayt for carps, perchs, and other 

 fishes." 



