ON ANGLING WITH THE WORM 147 



exclusively to fishing when the waters are small and 

 clear, and we shall now proceed to what remains of 

 the subject namely, angling with the worm in 

 flooded waters and hill-burns. 



To commence, then, with flooded waters. If the 

 water is very heavy, one or two No. 3 split shot will 

 be found an advantage. In such circvimstances we 

 generally use two common bait hooks, and tie the 

 one about two feet above the other placing the 

 shot between them about eight inches above the 

 first hook. When the waters are very thick, worms 

 will generally be found most enticing if newly taken 

 from the earth, as in such circumstances trout are 

 guided to them more by scent than sight, and a 

 newly-dug worm has a much stronger smell than a 

 long kept one. 



The parts of the stream where sport may be ex- 

 pected in flooded waters are quite different from 

 those which have been indicated as being suitable 

 when the waters are reduced. Whenever a river 

 begins to flood, trout seek the shallow sides of 

 pools, and the thin and comparatively quiet water 

 at the tails of streams, and in these places they will 

 take the worm readily, until the river gets very large 

 and thick, when they do not take readily, and lie in 

 the eddies a few feet from the edge, keeping as much 

 as possible out of reach of the current. The time 

 when the particles of mud in the water begin to 

 settle, and the water is of a brown colour, is 

 the best of any. The trout now begin to move a 

 little farther out, but are still in the moderately 



