136 ON ANGLING WITH THE WORM. 



the angler will certainly catch trout in deeper water 

 than he could without them, but as a rule it is not in 

 deep water that the worm-fisher must look for sport ; 

 and in water not above a couple of feet deep, the 

 worm will reach the bottom very quickly without any 

 assistance ; and even should it not, the trout will 

 rise to seize it, frequently jumping at it as they would 

 at a fly. The only occasions in which the use of 

 sinkers can be defended are, either when the wind 

 is blowing so strong that it would be impossible to 

 keep the line in the water without them, or when 

 it is necessary to fish water so deep that the trout 

 would not see the worm unless they were used. 



Besides giving an unnatural motion to the 

 worm, sinkers are highly objectionable in other 

 respects. They are constantly hanking below stones, 

 and occasioning the angler a great deal of annoyance 

 and loss of time. With them also the angler gets 

 over the ground at a much slower rate than when 

 his worm comes down almost at the same rate as 

 the stream. This opinion about sinkers is held by 

 almost all the best worm-fishers ; and some Tweed- 

 side adepts never use them under any circumstances. 



Many different kinds of worms are used by the 

 angler, but the four following are held in highest 

 estimation, and are also to be found in greatest 

 abundance. In Edinburgh they 'may be had ready 

 for use at a very moderate price ; but in country 

 places the angler will frequently require to dig and 

 prepare his own bait, or he will be but indifferently 



