THE BLUE-HEAD AND BRANDLING. 235 



of the body, but particularly the under part, is of 

 a light cream-colour, transparent almost to the 

 tail. It is without knobs, and the skin on the 

 belly side feels sharply rough to the fingers. It 

 readily scours in moss, becomes tough, lively, and 

 long-lived. It is one of the most lasting worms 

 in the water I know of. When the water is dis- 

 coloured by a flood, it is the best of all trout baits, 

 and should be used on a tripping line without a 

 float. Spun in clear water by means of a swivel 

 or two on the foot-line, few fish will pass it by. 

 It is to be found in rich garden mould, about the 

 roots of esculent plants. It is not to be found, 

 like the lob-worm, in heavy, damp soils. I strongly 

 recommend it. 



Brandlings are capital worms, perhaps the best 

 of all for fish under a pound weight. They 

 require very little scouring, and are almost without 

 it tough and lively. They do not run large, and 

 I advise two at a time on the hook if you wish to 

 catch good-sized fish. Captain Williamson's opi- 

 nion of this worm is correct. " It is," he says, 

 " with most fish the object of choice. They are 

 to be found in various places, more or less, but in 

 greatest abundance among rotten tan, or in heaps 

 of manure composed chiefly of sweepings from 

 cow-houses and swine's muck. They rarely exceed 

 three inches in length, and may be readily distin- 

 guished by their annular appearance, they being 



