BAFTS 35i 



will breed and keep them. To scour them, put them in a pan 

 with a bit of refuse damp netting or old cheese-cloth. 



The Brandling or Gilt-tail is a beautiful little worm to look 

 at, being clad in alternate rings of yellow and red. It is a more 

 lively worm than the last, and is used for most of the fish 

 named above, in common with the red worm. It also comes 

 in for fine worm-fishing in the Scotch and Border streams, for 

 which the red worm would be a size or two too small. It is 

 found in old dung heaps, or rotten tan chiefly, but a good many 

 may be found in rank vegetable matter in a state of moist 

 decay. It is a nasty worm to handle, exuding a filthy yellow 

 secretion of a most disagreeable smell. A little moss, in 

 addition to the means recommended for the red worm, will be 

 useful in scouring it. 



The Red Head is a very bright gleaming worm, a sort of link 

 between the red worm and the lob. It is the most active of 

 any, and is found in rich mould, and notably under the old 

 dead droppings of cows. Used mostly in trouting, or for perch, 

 tench, etc., being too large for the smaller fish, and not large 

 enough for barbel, etc. It is rather a tender worm, and easily 

 damaged. Scour with moss. 



The Lob or Dew Worm is the largest and perhaps the 

 commonest worm we have. It is found in all gardens and fields, 

 and many other places likewise, save where the ground is 

 dressed with lime, salt, cinders, or such matters as are inimical 

 to worms. In grass plots not very well kept ; village greens, 

 and many places where the grass is kept pretty short ; the 

 sides of garden walks, and such like spots, they will be found 

 very plentiful after a good fall or two of rain, as soon as the 

 evening comes on. Go out then with a lantern, and, treading 

 gently, you may gather two or three or more quarts of them ; 

 but the worm-catcher requires to be pretty active in grabbing 

 them, and resolute in hanging on, as they dart into their holes, 

 when alarmed, with great rapidity, and hang on when half in 

 and half out with singular tenacity, often submitting rather 

 to be pulled in halves than to let go. They should be scoured 

 in a plentiful supply of moss, and looked over every day, the 

 dead and sickly picked out and thrown away, or they poison 

 the rest. In order to keep a good stock of them, fill an old 

 chest or packing-case with clay, and turn some thousands of 

 worms into it. This will keep them in good order till they are 

 wanted, when they can be taken out and scoured. For the 

 hook, those which are reddest, with a red streak down the back 



