ON ANGLING WITH THE WORM 139 



so gently that it will neither pull the worm down 

 stream nor nearer the surface. If this be properly 

 done, the angler will catch a half more trout than 

 if he were keeping a large quantity of line im- 

 mersed in the water. For the length of line, the 

 angler will be guided entirely by circumstances ; but 

 it will rarely be found necessary to use one much 

 longer than the rod. 



The first notice you get of a trout having taken 

 your bait is in general a stoppage of the line. This, 

 however, may arise from the hook or line having 

 come in contact with some fixed object. You 

 should therefore lower the point of your rod down 

 stream till your line is straight, when you will at 

 once know whether or not there is a trout at it. 

 The proper time to strike depends upon whether 

 you are using a common bait-hook or the four-hook 

 tackle. If you are using the latter, strike down 

 stream as soon as you can get your line straight. 

 If you are using a common bait hook, it is difficult 

 to know the proper time to strike. You may strike 

 before the trout has the hook in its mouth at all, 

 or you may give it so long that it may discover the 

 hook and expel it from its mouth. In either case 

 you lose the trout. A trout, when taking a worm, 

 frequently seizes the part that is up on the line and 

 quite free from the hooks, and will carry it away 

 to his lair before attempting to swallow it. A pull 

 at the line intimates that a trout has taken the 

 worm ; there is then generally an even pull and 

 running out of the line ; and when this stops, which 



