The charm of Stone Fly fishing is truly enhanced by the season of its use. What could be finer than the river side in the latter days of May and early June; and a turn before breakfast at that time of the year is a delight to be remembered the winter through. Besides, a good creel when fish are not so terribly difficult to kill is like all success honestly come by, a delight to the heart and a pleasure to one’s friends.
Chapter IV.
UPSTREAM WORM FISHING.
No book devoted to the subject of the fishing of North Country rivers would be complete without a chapter on worm fishing.
This branch of the sport, has during recent years become more and more popular in the Northern Counties, as worm fishing, under the conditions mentioned later, undoubtedly deserves to be classed as an art alongside of the highest forms of fly fishing. Indeed, in its difficulties it exceeds fly fishing, both wet and dry.
There remains, however, still a certain amount of prejudice against worm fishing among fly fishermen, who continue to look upon it as unsporting and therefore beneath the notice of a self-respecting fisherman. But the prejudice of these men is probably largely due to their misconception of the term. For while trout can mostly be caught by any in a fresh with very elementary tackle, it takes an observant and persevering man to make a basket under conditions suitable for sporting upstream worming.
The use of the worm during the first few months of the season cannot be defended, whether the river be low and clear, or running strong with the Spring freshets; for seldom a day passes at that time of the year without a rise at some part of it during which trout will take a fly, and, while that is the case, what true disciple of Walton would use any other lure?
The season therefore when the worm can fairly be used is restricted to the time of low clear waters during the hottest part of the summer, when the trout have ceased to rise freely to the fly in the day-time, a period of some eight or ten weeks, beginning about the 10th of June. The Stone Fly is usually over by that date. Any antipathy to worm fishing under those conditions in our North Country Rivers is difficult to understand, for it provides a most sporting variety of fishing during the blazing days of summer when the fly is hopeless. And unless a man is prepared to work hard in the blistering sun, unless he has a good knowledge of the habits of trout, and is able to show a fair amount of skill, both in approaching his fish and in throwing the worm, his basket will be a light one.
Many are the days during the latter part of June and the month of July when the man who fishes fly only will return home with but an odd fish or so to show for his day’s outing. That may satisfy the gentleman of leisure, but to those who can devote to their favourite pastime only such days—often few and far between—as can be snatched from business, the killing of a few brace will appeal strongly.
To them in particular this chapter is addressed in the hope that some of those who, through prejudice, use fly only will reserve judgment, and, having read so far, may be sufficiently interested to read to the end of the chapter, and maybe to put into practice those hints which are here offered on one of the most delightful branches of trout fishing.