146 ON ANGLING WITH THE WOKM. 



part of the water where he is standing run up and 

 alarm the others. The better plan is to fish the 

 side you are on as you approach, and then, if neces- 

 sary, wade in to fish the opposite. But on all occa- 

 sions, make as little disturbance and keep as little 

 line in the water as possible. 



With regard to the season when worm-fishing 

 commences, a few trout may be taken with the worm 

 in April and May ; but at this season there is no 

 inducement to use it, as trout take fly much more 

 readily ; and if the angler must have a bait, he will 

 find a much more deadly one in the May-fly, which 

 forms the subject of the next chapter. There are 

 some anglers who never fish with anything else but 

 worms ; a proceeding we can only account for by 

 supposing that they are deficient both in knowledge 

 and taste. When worm-fishing is not in season, the 

 trout captured by it are neither so large nor so well- 

 conditioned as those taken with the fly. Trout 

 never take a worm freely till they are thoroughly 

 satiated with surface-food ; and this seldom happens 

 until the May-flies are off the water, or at a time 

 varying from the beginning of June to the beginning 

 of July. It is now that worm-fishing commences in 

 earnest, and really good and exciting sport it is. 

 The trout are in splendid condition, strong and 

 vigorous ; so that a half-pound trout at this season 

 will afford as much play as one of twice the size 

 would have done two months earlier. It is the 

 most certain and deadly of all fishing j and by it 



