SINKERS. 135 



for the following reasons : A worm thrown into a 

 stream would be carried down by the current and 

 turned round in every eddy ; and as this is the way 

 in which trout are accustomed to see worms coming 

 down stream, every deviation from it is calculated 

 to excite their suspicion. When there are two or 

 three split shot on the line, the worm travels at a 

 slower rate than the stream, and yields but little to 

 any eddy. The shot control and retard its move- 

 ments, so that, looking upon the shot as almost 

 stationary, the line between them and the worm, 

 and of course the worm itself at the end of it, are 

 dangling about in the stream ; in fact, to a certain 

 extent, resisting the current, instead of being carried 

 down by it. Again, if the worm is thrown into an 

 eddy, the shot go to the bottom and lie there ; but 

 the worm, being much lighter, rises with the current 

 as far as the length of line between it and the shot, 

 and there remains almost stationary. Now, in both 

 these cases, the shot give an unnatural motion to 

 the worm. 



The alleged advantages of shotting are, that the 

 worm travels more slowly, affording the trout plenty 

 of time to seize it, and that it . always reaches the 

 bottom. Now, as to the first assertion, the best 

 rate for the worm to travel at is undoubtedly the 

 natural one, and if the trout wish to seize it, they 

 have always plenty of time to do so. To the second 

 reason we attach some importance ; it is natural for 

 the worm to be near the bottom, and with sinkers 



