THE TROUT. 93 



say despise ; for no one has a right to despise a 

 mode adopted and much esteemed by others) I 

 hate worm-fishing for trout. There is something 

 refined and poetical about trouting which is hardly 

 in unison with an impaled worm. The play shown 

 by a fish thus hooked is very inferior, as the bait 

 is generally swallowed, and your pull is from the 

 gullet at best, instead of the hard palate or bony, 

 unsensitive lip. All fishermen who fish for their 

 livelihood, and not for sport, adopt this killing, 

 and, to my mind, less sportsman-like method. 

 However, there are times of drought and flood, 

 and times of the year when the fly is worthless as 

 a lure, and there are streams so small in their 

 dimensions as to preclude its use. In such cases, 

 the worms may be fairly used. Scour them 

 thoroughly. This is best done in clean, dampish 

 moss, changed daily for four or five days, always 

 pressing it tightly, and placing the worms at the 

 top. They will squeeze themselves through to the 

 bottom of the vessel, and in so doing, get rid of 

 the earthly aliment always present in them when 

 freshly dug. Use a No. 8 hook, and unless the 

 water is very fine, tolerably strong tackle. A 

 single shot, three or four inches above the hook, 

 will sink it and cause the bait to play. Your rod 

 is short and stiff. Walk up the stream, and throw 



