184 TROUT FISHING 



worm well, you see and feel a rapid succession 

 of little jerks and twitches ; there is a deal of fuss 

 about it, the collar goes first one way and then 

 another, but this is trifling and does not mean 

 business you must drop the rod and wait till 

 the collar moves in one determined direction, or 

 until the humbug of twitching ceases, when on 

 looking at your worm, you will find its tail bit- 

 ten off close up to the hook. If you strike whilst 

 the lively commotion is taking place, you will 

 perhaps just prick your trout you will not take 

 one in a hundred, and your pricked trout will not 

 bite again in a hurry. If, however, he has eaten 

 the tail of the worm without your striking, he 

 may think it so nice as to desire more of the same 

 sort; so you put on another worm and try again, 

 and very often you will thus kill your fish. To 

 the beginner, this lively movement is so exciting, 

 and seems to indicate such determination on the 

 part of the trout, that he cannot resist striking 

 the result is always the same tail of worm 

 gone fish pricked or not, as chance may be 

 but seldom or never taken. Often you may see 

 the trout come towards your worm with a rush 

 from his lurking place in this case the instant 

 you see the trout turn in the water, strike. A 

 trout that you can see dart sharply at your worm 

 from his lurking spot, and then suddenly turn, 

 is one that will do his best to take the worm, 

 and you are almost sure of catching him. The 

 most common error, with learners of worm-fishing, 

 is striking too quickly. Now at any time that 



