WORM-FISHING IN L\K<;i: STREAMS. 



and clear. To succeed well, however, at such times, it is 

 necessary to fish with very fine tackle, and to use the best 

 precautions not to be seen by the fish. When the water is 

 thick this is needless. In electing to fish worm in thick 

 water, always choose the day when the water is first rising 

 and thickening if possible, as that is the time when all 

 the fish in the river will be abroad and on the watch for 

 food. If you put off going out till the next day you may 

 find them gorged with the food the flood has brought down ; 

 and on the next day, if the flood holds, you will be sure 

 to, and your chance is even worse still, and you must give 

 them a day or two to recover from their surfeit before 

 they will take well. At such times, however, the in-shore 

 eddies and thin water close to the banks will always give 

 a few fish to the fly or the minnow. 



The length of your rod for worm-fishing must always 

 depend somewhat upon the size of the river and nature of 

 the water you are going to fish. It should not be less than 

 from thirteen to fourteen feet long, and may be as much 

 longer as you can conveniently handle. It should be of 

 the lightest cane, moderately stiff, but not too stiff, with 

 some extra play in the top-joint, as you often have to cast 

 worm like a fly ; and you will find it of some advantage 

 to have a good-sized ring at the top of the rod, and to see 

 that your sinkers or leads, if you use them, are so arranged 

 that they will pass freely through the top rings. Many a 

 line and hook have I saved from destruction by just drawing 

 the line through the rings when I got hung up in a bit of 

 stick, stone, or a snag, until, by thrusting the rod-point 

 down under water till the top 'ring reached the hook, I 

 managed to clear it. There is nothing so annoying as to 

 break your line and to have to sit down and rig up a fresh 

 one, when the fish are well on the feed. Every minute 

 lost is a fish lost. A little care and attention at the out- 

 set will obviate all this. The line should be light, and of 



