258 FLY FISHING 



special merits of brandling worms were so im- 

 pressed upon me from the first that I have never 

 been content to use any other kind. They are 

 certainly good both in colour and size. The 

 objection to them is that they are rather soft, 

 but for burn fishing, where the worm is dropped 

 rather than cast into the water, this does not 

 matter so much. Brandling worms, however, are 

 not to be found in common earth, nor in every 

 heap of decaying manure or rubbish. Kitchen 

 garden refuse is a valuable ingredient, but it is 

 not the only one, and the heaps must be of the 

 right material in the right stage of decay ; young 

 anglers of intelligence and observation make 

 it their business to know the best places for 

 brandling worms, so that they may be sure of 

 getting a good supply whenever they want it. 

 The brandlings are best after being kept for a 

 day or two in clean moss, but trout take them 

 well enough when they are fresh. 



Very wonderful is the perspective of child- 

 hood, which can make a small burn seem greater 

 than rivers in after life. There was one burn 

 which I knew intimately from its source to the 

 sea. Much of the upper part was wooded, and 



