MAKING UP OF THE TACKLE. 107 



than angling with the fly or minnow. In the hands of 

 a skilful practitioner indeed, there is no mode of cap- 

 turing well-conditioned fish with the rod more remu- 

 nerative, I say well-conditioned, for in the spawning 

 months, lean, lank, and unhealthy trout may be mas- 

 sacred in any number by means of salmon-roe or pastes 

 formed from that substance. 



In the present chapter, I shall attempt to make plain 

 the principal points to be attended to by the worm- 

 fisher desirous of success. These I class, under the 

 following heads : 



1. The rod and tackle to be employed. 



2. The kind of worm and how prepared. 



3. When and where to fish. 



4. How to bait and manage the line. 



First, then, with regard to the rod and tackle. The 

 former I have already alluded to in a preceding chapter, 

 and shall only repeat, that it ought to be a two-handed 

 one, and in length approaching to seventeen feet the 

 butt light, formed of well-seasoned Memel fir the top- 

 pieces somewhat stiff and fashioned of lance or hickory- 

 wood a rod, in fact, such as would please the minnow 

 trolley or give general Satisfaction on a Highland stream 

 among sea-trout and small grilses. 



And now, with respect to the tackle. This merits 

 very strict attention. Of the reel line I need say 

 nothing. A common trouting one will serve the purpose 

 better than any other. That for casting, however, 

 should be fine, long, and well tapered the lower por- 

 tion of it composed of at least seven lengths of single 

 gut, tinged rather than dyed with the ordinary decoction 

 of logwood and alum. These lengths, I need scarcely 

 say, should be knotted together with care and accuracy 



