1 84 Worm- Fis 'king. 



the ' Noctes/ who " ane day, in the Megget, caucht 

 a cartf u', which, as it gaed doun the road, the kintra 

 folk thocht was a cartfu' o' herrins, being a' pre- 

 ceesely o' ae size to an uuce," still he may capture 

 sufficient to satisfy his ambition, and more than fill 

 his creel. He will find that the earlier hours of 

 the day are the best ; the " takes " are fewer after 

 one or two o'clock in the afternoon ; but it is no 

 uncommon occurrence for twelve or eighteen dozen 

 to be picked up before that time in a well-stocked 

 burn. A day's "take" of burn-trout looks better 

 when stated in dozens than in pounds. They are 

 more numerous than large ; and as they generally 

 pay promptly for what they get, and are rarely 

 credited with a worm, the angler must be content 

 to conduct this branch of his " silent business " on 

 the admirable principle of " small profits and quick 

 returns." 



If the water be clear, the angler must of course 

 fish up. Using an ordinary trout-rod and a short 

 fine line, a small Stewart tackle, and a tiny lively 

 worm, let him drop his bait gently into the pools 

 or into the streams, behind stones and below banks, 

 in ripples and in eddies, remembering that wher- 

 ever there is sufficient and sometimes even where 

 there is scarcely sufficient water to cover a fish, 

 the chances are that he may raise one. But he 

 must keep well out of sight, and take care lest 



