72 TROUT FISHING 



favourable. Anglers do not expect good 

 baskets from a flood which is the result of 

 snows quickly melting in a thaw, and un- 

 doubtedly the sport is poor. The explana- 

 tion, I think, hes mainly in the action of 

 cold upon the earthworms. A warm flood, 

 a flood which comes with spring rain when 

 the country is free from snow, entices the 

 worms to the surface of the soil, and 

 hurries many of them down the hillsides 

 to the streams, to feed the trout ; but 

 melting snow chills the earth more than 

 the snow itself, and " snow brew " on the 

 hillsides and on the fields causes the worms 

 to keep to their winter quarters, which are 

 farther down than a spade goes at a stroke. 

 A flood of that kind bringing no food into 

 the streams, the fish are not on the out- 

 look ; and, unless it happens to run up 

 against the very mouth of one of them, the 

 angler's worm is unregarded, as a Mayfly 

 would be in August. When the melted 

 snow has been drained off to the sea things 

 wear a different aspect for the angler. 

 The temperature may be even lower than 



