M WORM-FISHING. 



artificial beetle will be found very useful at times, and 

 I recommend it as much the pleasantest way of fishing 

 beetle ; and as much skill and quickness, and perhaps even 

 more, will be required than is necessary in the manipula- 

 tion of the artificial fly, because the angler will not have 

 the advantage of seeing a rise, but will have to judge from 

 his sense of feeling and the motion of the line. If the 

 line stops suddenly he should strike at once, not waiting* 

 for the tug at the rod-top ; but in all cases he should strike 

 lightly, or he may destroy his bait even if there should be 

 no bite. The artificial beetle should be made by tying 

 three strands of gut, stained almost black, firmly crosswise 

 to the hook shank. Then tie a bunch of some long strands 

 of any brown or mottled feather which will best imitate 

 the wing-cases, on at tail of the hook. Next tie on 

 peacock or ostrich herl at the same place, and wind the 

 silk up to the bend ; in doing so two strips of lead may 

 be bound on to the shank to give it weight. Then wind 

 on the herl for the body, and tie it off neatly ; bring the 

 brown strands up to the bend tightly to form the back, 

 and tie it off ; then tie a bit of silk tightly round over all 

 to separate the body and form the thorax. Cuts of two 

 artificial beetles may be seen at Plate IX. figs. 5 and 6. 



OX WORM-FLSIILXG. 



There are two methods of worm-fishing one which I 

 am excessively partial to, and one which I care nothing- 

 about. The first and simplest is the dolce far nlente of 

 trout-fishing ; and I know nothing more pleasant than 

 wandering dreamily away up amongst the hills by the side 

 of some tiny beck, new to the angler, with no sound but 

 the pipe of the plover, or the curlew, or the distant 

 tinkle of the drowsy bell-wether ; no encumbance but a 

 light rod ; no bother about what flies will or will not suit ; 



