A day with the upstream worm always gives to the writers the utmost pleasure and satisfaction. Each cast is as full of interest as a cast made with the wet fly; and from the moment the worm touches the water to the moment it is withdrawn, the excitement rivals that conjured up by the approach of a dry fly to the spot whence recently emanated the rings made by a rising trout.
Then again, the skill necessary to throw a worm without flicking it off the hooks, and to drop it exactly where required with the least possible disturbance, is of no mean order.
That is not all, however; conditions vary, and all rivers from day to day present new problems. Unless therefore the angler is able to adapt himself to varying conditions, the most precise and delicate casting is of little avail.
To divine instinctively where the trout lie is the great secret of success; and it is the application of that knowledge that marks the expert in this branch of angling. To put the matter in a nutshell, an adept in upstream worm fishing combines delicate and accurate casting, unsurpassed even by the dry-fly man, with an intimate knowledge of the habits of trout. This can only be gained by keen and careful observation.
Neither wet-fly nor dry-fly fishing requires quite such a wide experience with regard to the habits of trout, and for that reason upstream worm fishing is to be classed as an art in itself. The knowledge gained of the habitat of the trout by clear water worming is a valuable asset to the wet-fly fisher and may often be turned to good account on one of those days when the hatch of fly is meagre and rising fish are few.
Is not this latter reason alone sufficient recommendation to induce every fly fisher to take up this branch of the art? If the reader thinks so, perhaps the few following hints on tackle and procedure may serve as some guide, particularly if he be a novice and about to make his initial effort.
The rod is, of course, of primary importance. Many writers recommend one of 12 ft. in length; and Stewart, who has always held the reputation of being one of the finest exponents of upstream worming of his day, recommends the use of a rod even longer than that. No doubt a long rod has the advantage of enabling the wielder to keep out of sight readily, but the writers seldom use any other than a 10½ ft. fly rod, simply because they frequently find it advisable to change from worm to fly and vice versâ.
The reel and line should be the same as that used for fly fishing, and also the cast (as in fly fishing), a tapered one of three yards, the last yard being of finest drawn gut. Then comes the worm tackle. With regard to this there is a choice of three different varieties, each having its own advantages, and it is for the reader to use that with which he best succeeds.
First there is the single-hook tackle, in which the worm is threaded over the shank of the hook, and is kept from slipping down by a crank at the top. The advantages of this tackle are that most of the hook is hidden, being buried in the worm, and, the hook being fairly large, a good hold is got upon a fish when hooked.