WORM-FISHING FOR TROUT. 73 



purpose of rapid baiting the most convenient 

 manner of carrying the worms is in a wide-mouthed 

 bag attached to the button-hole. A worm that is 

 disfigured or dead should never be kept on the 

 hooks. This is perhaps the most important point 

 of all. The name of the worm indicates where it 

 can best.be found. Before use it should, if pos- 

 sible, be placed in a damp moss for two or three 

 days. 



After being cast up stream as far as the length 

 of rod and line will conveniently admit, the bait 

 should be allowed to be carried back with the 

 current nearly to the angler's feet. If in its pas- 

 sage the line comes to a suspicious stop, the 

 nature of which is not obvious, or if a fish evidently 

 takes the bait, the line should be allowed to re- 

 main for three or four seconds motionless, when 

 the angler should strike, not very hard, as the 

 hooks are small, but still firmly and decidedly. 



In worm-fishing for Trout, perhaps more than in 

 any other kind of fishing, the short-handled pocket 

 net described at page 82 will be found *an invalu- 

 able auxiliary. 



