40 THE SALMON FISHEK. 



is slightly browned and on the rise. In the neck of 

 a stream in midsummer is the next deadly opportu- 

 nity, but under most other conditions the worm as a 

 salmon lure may be classified in the category of ec- 

 centricities. There is no saying when it may or may 

 not be successful, and fish have been killed under all 

 conditions with it. Yet it is not a favorite lure. Its 

 uncertainty may have much to do with its unpopu- 

 larity. Still, it has been asserted that salmon will 

 invariably be tempted to try a worm at some time or 

 other in the course of the twenty-four hours. With 

 grilse nothing beats the worm, and especially if they 

 are fresh from the sea. Not even the worm will 

 tempt grilse when running, but when they are rest- 

 ing in any bit of slack water, let the worm come roll- 

 ing toward them and they will take it for a cer- 

 tainty . When they congregate in a deep pool they 

 may be picked out, one after another, if they be at 

 all on the feed. This, however, when the water is 

 slightly browned, in preference to crystal clearness. 

 In a black water the worm is refused alike by sal- 

 mon, grilse and sea trout, and nothing seems to 

 work like the spoon bait. In a mighty flood, when 



