METHOD OF FISHING WITH WORM. 179 



the water; and the fly and worm will be in request 

 according as one meteoric influence or another prevails. 

 Weather peculiarly favourable to worm-fishing, I con- 

 sider to be a few hours after the clearing up of a mode- 

 rate mild rain in spring or summer, when the day is 

 warm and gloomy, with scarcely a breath of wind astir, 

 when the air swarms with gnats and other insects, and the 

 odour of floral and vegetable exhalations renders it almost 

 oppressive to the senses. This is a time when the 

 worm will be more than ordinarily acceptable ; for, in 

 expectation of the waters rising and bearing down fresh 

 stores of food, they are all on the qui vive, and eagerly 

 roaming in search of every description of bottom bait. 

 Their appetites, too, seem to be so extraordinarily excited 

 at this time, that they gorge almost to bursting with every 

 edible substance they meet with, so as to render them 

 sick and lethargic for many days after. To " make hay 

 while the sun shines" seems to be their motto on such 

 an occasion, and they very wisely embrace the oppor- 

 tunity of feasting to repletion on such delicacies as 

 worms, grubs, and slugs, when fortune brings them 

 within reach, which is only during a freshet in the river. 



METHOD OF FISHING WITH WOEM. 



Of the various methods of angling with worm (each 

 having its own advocates), I shall now notice a few. 

 One sportsman leads his line heavily, and, casting the 

 bait into a likely situation, either waits patiently, rod 

 in hand, until fortune shall bring to it some roaming 



