ON ANGLING WITH THE WORM 131 



are two or three split shot on the line, the worm 

 travels at a slower rate than the stream, and yields 

 but little to any eddy. The shot control and retard 

 its movements, so that, looking upon the shot as 

 almost stationary, the line between them and the 

 worm, and of course the worm itself at the end 

 of it, are dangling about in the stream ; in fact, 

 to a certain extent resisting the current, instead 

 of being carried down by it. Again, if the worm 

 is thrown into an eddy, the shot go to the bottom 

 and lie there ; but the worm, being much lighter, 

 rises with the current as far as the length of line 

 between it arid the shot, and there remains almost 

 stationary. Now, in both these cases, the shot give 

 an unnatural motion to the worm. 



The alleged advantages of shotting are, that the 

 worm travels more slowly, affording the trout plenty 

 of time to seize it, and that it always reaches the 

 bottom. Now, as to the first assertion, the best 

 rate for the worm to travel at is undoubtedly the 

 natural one, and if the trout wish to seize it, they 

 have always plenty of time to do so. To the second 

 reason we attach some importance ; it is natural for 

 the worm to be near the bottom, and with sinkers 

 the angler will certainly catch trout in deeper water 

 than he could without them, but as a rule it is not 

 in deep water that the worm-fisher must look for 

 sport ; and in water not above a couple of feet deep, 

 the worm will reach the bottom very quickly without 

 any assistance ; and even should it not, the trout 

 will rise to seize it, frequently jumping at it as they 



