118 ON FISHING WITH THE WORM FOR TROUT. 



regards the southern districts of Scotland, our best 

 worm-fishing months. Be it noted however, by way 

 of repetition, that I am not at present alluding to the 

 simple and coarse practice of the art pursued among 

 starved and unwary fish in mountain rivulets, nor do I 

 refer to worm-fishing in flooded and discoloured streams, 

 but I treat of it solely as respects clear waters, inha- 

 bited by cunning, cautious trout, and in consequence 

 as a method of angling which requires of the craftsman 

 great skill and no stinted amount of prudence. With 

 regard to hill burn fishing, undoubtedly it is more in 

 season during August and September, when rains are 

 frequent, than in June and July ; and in discoloured 

 waters, trout may be captured with worm throughout 

 the whole year, no one month excepted. * 



Connected with the branch of the art properly under 

 notice, and the time of the year suitable for its practice, 

 I may here mention the fact that in the months above- 

 named, trout are invariably in their best condition, 

 strong, active, plump, and firm, a recommendation that 

 weighs much with the honest angler, who is always 

 epicure enough to know and admire the good points of 

 a fish, and who dislikes, very pardonably, to burden his 

 pannier with such as are ill-shaped, villainously com- 

 plexioned, soft, rank, and useless, affording on the hook 

 no play, to the eye no pleasure, and at the table no 

 nourishment. 



As to the time of day when trout take the worm 

 most largely, that depends not a little upon the state of 

 the atmosphere. In warm, tranquil weather, they are 

 sometimes met with in feeding humour shortly after sun- 

 rise, and continue to be so until one or two o' clock, p.m. 

 Generally, however, they do not commence to bite freely 

 before eight or nine, a.m., and leave off in the course 



