| I understand that you may not look at live | | | | and began using a bait bag to carry my live |
| worm angling as an "art", but I've always | | | | worms as well. That was almost 20 years |
| said that if flea flicking can be considered | | | | ago, and to this day I do not fish with live |
| an art form, so can live worm fishing. You | | | | worms without my bait bag. It's literally |
| see, a little more than 15 years ago I had | | | | one of the most ingenious idea's that I've |
| the pleasure of knowing a great fisherman who | | | | ever come across. |
| fished almost exclusively with live worms in | | | | |
| a manner in which I had never in my life | | | | From his experience fishing, he knew that it |
| seen. He used ultra light fishing gear and | | | | was necessary to present live worms in the |
| very light line (he preferred four pound | | | | most natural manner possible. So he also |
| test) and caught monster trout out of streams | | | | came up with the idea of the gang hook for |
| that people didn't think trout that big even | | | | worm fishing. JRW's gang hooks were simply a |
| lived in. It was amazing, and since I was | | | | pair of small hooks tied in tandem (usually |
| best friends with his son, he taught us both | | | | size 8 or 10), thus enabling him to present a |
| his tips and techniques that made him such a | | | | live worm in an outstretched and natural |
| great live worm angler. As I've gotten | | | | manner. If the worms were large, then he |
| older, I've realized that he was an artist | | | | simply pinched them in half. Then the gang |
| and now I'm going to attempt to pass a few of | | | | hooks were attached to his line using a small |
| his worm fishing secrets on to you through | | | | barrel swivel (usually size 10 or 12) and |
| this article. | | | | weighted down by using split shot sinkers. |
| | | | The goal was to allow your live worm to |
| There were honestly too many tips and | | | | bounce off of the bottom, as it flowed |
| techniques to cover in one small article, but | | | | naturally with the current of the river or |
| I'll give you the important ones that I | | | | stream. |
| continue to use to this day. JRW (that's the | | | | |
| 'artist' I've been referring to) believed in | | | | What I just described was the exact gang hook |
| fishing is the flowing water of rivers and | | | | rig that JRW used to catch all of his |
| streams. He loved fishing for trout, | | | | trophy trout, and it's the same rig that I've |
| walleye, and smallmouth bass while wading in | | | | been using ever since JRW taught it to me. |
| rivers and streams. He learned that these | | | | This rig, when allowed to flow naturally with |
| fish (especially trout) in small rivers and | | | | the current of a river of stream, is deadly. |
| streams were much more sensitive to things | | | | The rig is also pretty good for still fishing |
| such as colors and sound than fish in other | | | | if the split shot sinkers are replaced with |
| bodies of water. That's why he always | | | | an egg sinker (above the barrel swivel) and |
| "treaded lightly" while wading, so as not to | | | | when rigged under a bobber in your favorite |
| spook the fish. He also always wore drab | | | | lake, it works very well also. The gang hook |
| clothing, so as not to stick out like a sore | | | | rig is very versatile and incredibly |
| thumb. He said the fish could see you and | | | | effective. |
| the more that you stood out, the less apt | | | | |
| they were to bite. | | | | The bottom line is that I believe that live |
| | | | worm angling is an art, when done properly. |
| The next thing he believed in was being | | | | In my opinion, JRW was flat out an artist |
| efficient. This is why he developed the | | | | when it came to live worm angling and I hope |
| first bait bag, at least that I had ever | | | | that I've become half the artist that he |
| seen, for carrying live worms while angling. | | | | obviously was. By using these simple, yet |
| This meant that any time a worm was needed, | | | | effective tips, you to can elevate your live |
| they were literally at you fingertips. After | | | | worm angling as well. |
| seeing his, I immediately fashioned my own | | | | |