Bait Angling for Common Fishes

he most effective, deadly all-round bait available; for all the fishes that swim, either in fresh or in salt water, from the plebeian and lowly catfish to the lordly salmon, at all seasons, daytime or nighttime, it is resistless and bound to be seized with avidity, especially if properly impaled on a hook which is of the right size. Nature's bountiful provision of an inexhaustible supply makes theworm a poor man's friend; no matter where he digs in suitable soil, a few minutes will suffice to amply supply him with all that is needed to capture and provide a mess of fish for himself and his family. With the aid of a small hook and some fine line, the combined expense of but a few cents, his outfit used with care and judgment, he is as successful as the rich man with expensive tackle and fly-book. Of course, the highest art in worm fishing is that practiced by salmon and trout anglers, not the ever- present worm plugger of mountain brooks, but the expert who captures the wary trout in low and clear water during June and July. One advantage it possesses over the fly is the superior size of the trout caught. It is just as important that the bait be prepared properly, in that the angler may succeed in landing more fish of larger size; the worm, then, requires some preparation as well as due care in placing it before the quarry. In using worms for chub, dace, perch, wall eye, and sunfish there is a greatadvantage in having them well scoured and of proper size. There...