ON ANGLING WITH THE WORM 141 



fishing pools ; but as the water is rougher, you will 

 not be so easily seen, and kneeling is unnecessary. 

 You should always throw your worm a few yards 

 above where you think a trout is lying, as by the 

 time the bait reaches it, it will be pretty well sunk, 

 and trout take a worm most readily near the bottom. 

 As you will invariably get most trout on the oppo- 

 site side of the water from where you are standing, 

 always keep on the side where you think there are 

 fewest trout lying. The practice adopted by some 

 anglers of wading up the centre of the stream, and 

 casting on both sides of them, answers very well in 

 large rivers, where there is plenty of water to con- 

 ceal the angler, but in small rivers it alarms the 

 trout. Not that the trout, where the angler casts 

 his line, sees him ; but those about the part of the 

 water where he is standing run up and alarm the 

 others. The better plan is to fish the side you are on as 

 you approach, and then, if necessary, wade in to fish 

 the opposite. But on all occasions make as little dis- 

 turbance and keep as little line in the water as possible. 

 With regard to the season when worm-fishing 

 commences, a few trout may be taken with the worm 

 in April and May ; but at this season there is 

 no inducement to use it, as trout take fly much 

 more readily ; and if the angler must have a bait, 

 he will find a much more deadly one in the May-fly, 

 which forms the subject of the next chapter. There 

 are some anglers who never fish with anything else 

 but worms ; a proceeding we can only account for 

 by supposing that they are deficient both in know- 



