ON ANGLING WITH THE WORM 149 



caught, as after their long fast they will take with 

 the greatest avidity. When the rivers continue 

 small for a long time, the large trout get alarmed, 

 and hide themselves below stones and banks, from 

 which they do not stir, at least in the day-time. 

 A flood, however, sets them all astir again, and 

 more large trout may then be captured than in any 

 other condition of the water, which is a considerable 

 inducement, notwithstanding the coarseness of the 

 practice, to try it occasionally. When several floods 

 occur in succession about the month of July, trout 

 become gorged with worms, and do not take at all 

 readily, either during the time of the flood or even 

 when the waters are once more in bait-fishing order 

 small and clear ; apparently they get enough of 

 worms to satisfy them for the season. In flooded 

 waters, the morning will generally be found the best 

 time, unless in the early part of the season, when the 

 heat of the day is always favourable. 



Fishing with the worm in hill-burns, like fishing 

 in flooded waters, is not a very attractive sport, and 

 requires but little of the skill necessary for successful 

 worm-fishing in rivers and waters when they are 

 small and clear. If the banks of the burn are open 

 that is to say, if it runs over a stony channel the 

 best way is to use a short rod and fish up in the 

 usual manner. But if, as is frequently the case, the 

 banks almost meet over the burn, the only plan is 

 to drop the worm in and follow it down. There 

 is no danger of the trout seeing you, as in such 

 circumstances they are always under the banks. 



