UP-STREAM WORM FISHING. 55 



worms on the sacking, and they will find their way through 

 into the moss, scouring themselves as they do so, and they 

 will be tough in two days. An inch and a half to two 

 inches is the best length for worms for this kind of fishing. 



An ordinary stiffish fly rod about 12 feet long will do very 

 well, and your gut trace should be about 1 1 feet long, so as 

 to minimize the chances of flicking ofT your worm. In spring, 

 when you use the little rapid streams, a single shot, 6 inches 

 from the hook, should be used, but in summer when you get 

 on to the thins and shallows you require no lead ; the bait 

 will sink quite sufficiently of itself, and the river will trundle 

 it along naturally into just the places where the fish are 

 lying. In bright summer weather the very shallowest 

 places are not to be ignored, as trout often lie concealed 

 behind a little stone in spots where it would almost appear 

 there is not sufficient water to cover them. Throw a line 

 about one and a half times the length of your rod, and cast 

 either straight up stream or in a slightly oblique direction. 

 Fish two hooks in preference to either one or three ; let 

 the upper one be a No. 2 and the lower a No. 3, and 

 bait your worm as shown in plate 12. Let the stream 

 bring your worm along, and if it stops in its progress, wait 

 a couple of seconds and then strike, remembering that in 

 many cases in which a trout takes a natural bait he com- 

 monly follows it down stream a short distance before he 

 takes it. If, as often happens in worm-fishing, you see a 

 fish lying a short distance above you, do not cast your 

 worm above, that is, beyond him. In most cases you will 

 only startle him by so doing. Drop your worm about 

 eighteen inches behind him ; in nine cases out of ten he 

 will turn down stream and seize it instantly, being much 

 too intent on his prey to perceive the angler. 



An up-stream breeze is always best for worm-fishing, and 

 the weather cannot be too bright and sunny. If you have got 



