THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 269 



worm there is a gentle tremor perceptible on the line. 

 Give a moment, lower the point of the rod, and strike down 

 stream ; five times out of six the fish will be hooked and 

 the worm will be found some inches up the line, when it 

 can be drawn down into position again and used as before. 

 If the Stewart or Pennell tackle is employed, a fresh worm 

 must be put on at every bite. If the angler is using the 

 brandling or any tender worm the Stewart tackle is the 

 best. The angler should, if at all possible, wade, as doing 

 so gives him a great advantage in crossing from one side 

 to the other ; besides he can keep lower down in the water 

 and reach the most likely spots. Success in worm fishing 

 in a measure greatly depends upon the preparation of 

 the worms, which should not be too large. If these are 

 properly scoured and cleaned in moss some days before 

 using, according to the instructions already given, the 

 angler will be materially aided in his sport. It is almost a 

 necessity for the tyro to have some practical lessons from, 

 a good worm fisher before he can become an expert. 

 An exhaustive description of worm fishing is given in 

 "Stewart's Practical Angler," a most valuable manual for 

 an amateur to possess. 



Worm Scouring". After being gathered, let the 

 worms be put into a pail or vessel of water for a few minutes, 

 then lifted out and laid on a dry board, when they will 

 begin to crawl and cast. They may then be picked off, 

 and put into a crock or any suitable vessel containing 

 some clean fresh moss, well washed, wrung dry, and free 

 from straws or small sticks. In this they will bury them- 

 selves, and soon begin to clean and toughen. The moss 

 should be renewed in a couple of days, and any dead or 

 damaged worms removed. They will keep lively in this 



