ON RAPID STREAMS. 157 



CHAPTER VII. 



FISHING WITH THE MAGGOT. 



THE maggot by itself, simply on a bare hook, is 

 not a mode of fishing I can at all recommend to the 

 Devonian ; it will kill fish, but there are very many 

 means far superior in every way to it, nor do I 

 know that it is on North Devon waters capable of 

 taking fish when other means fail. I can therefore 

 only give you my experience that it is not worth 

 your consideration, with the view of preventing 1 

 disappointment and loss of time, should you be 

 ever thinking of trying it. But the maggot may 

 be made useful on North Devon streams when put 

 on an artificial fly. I feel now on this head to 

 labour under a difficulty which I am even fearful 

 of not being able with my pen rightly to overcome 

 it is to convey to the reader's mind a just esti- 

 mate of the power of the maggot as a bait. I 

 know full well that with the generality of fisher- 

 men in North Devon, the maggot stuck on a fly 

 is regarded with a mysterious feeling, as if it were 

 irresistible bait ; it is thought by many that you 

 have but to put on a maggot in hot weather and 



