The Art Of Live Worm Angling

I understand that you may not look at live worm angling as an "art", but I've always said that if flea flicking can be considered an art form, so can live worm fishing. You see, a little more than 15 years ago I had the pleasure of knowing a great fisherman who fished almost exclusively with live worms in a manner in which I had never in my life seen. He used ultra light fishing gear and very light line (he preferred four pound test) and caught monster trout out of streams that people didn't think trout that big even lived in. It was amazing, and since I was best friends with his son, he taught us both his tips and techniques that made him such a great live worm angler. As I've gotten older, I've realized that he was an artist and now I'm going to attempt to pass a few of his worm fishing secrets on to you through this article.

There were honestly too many tips and techniques to cover in one small article, but I'll give you the important ones that I continue to use to this day. JRW (that's the 'artist' I've been referring to) believed in fishing is the flowing water of rivers and streams. He loved fishing for trout, walleye, and smallmouth bass while wading in rivers and streams. He learned that these fish (especially trout) in small rivers and streams were much more sensitive to things such as colors and sound than fish in other bodies of water. That's why he always "treaded lightly" while wading, so as not to spook the fish. He also always wore drab clothing, so as not to stick out like a sore thumb. He said the fish could see you and the more that you stood out, the less apt they were to bite.

The next thing he believed in was being efficient. This is why he developed the first bait bag, at least that I had ever seen, for carrying live worms while angling. This meant that any time a worm was needed, they were literally at you fingertips. After seeing his, I immediately fashioned my own and began using a bait bag to carry my live worms as well. That was almost 20 years ago, and to this day I do not fish with live worms without my bait bag. It's literally one of the most ingenious idea's that I've ever come across.

From his experience fishing, he knew that it was necessary to present live worms in the most natural manner possible. So he also came up with the idea of the gang hook for worm fishing. JRW's gang hooks were simply a pair of small hooks tied in tandem (usually size 8 or 10), thus enabling him to present a live worm in an outstretched and natural manner. If the worms were large, then he simply pinched them in half. Then the gang hooks were attached to his line using a small barrel swivel (usually size 10 or 12) and weighted down by using split shot sinkers. The goal was to allow your live worm to bounce off of the bottom, as it flowed naturally with the current of the river or stream.

What I just described was the exact gang hook rig that JRW used to catch all of his trophy trout, and it's the same rig that I've been using ever since JRW taught it to me. This rig, when allowed to flow naturally with the current of a river of stream, is deadly. The rig is also pretty good for still fishing if the split shot sinkers are replaced with an egg sinker (above the barrel swivel) and when rigged under a bobber in your favorite lake, it works very well also. The gang hook rig is very versatile and incredibly effective.

The bottom line is that I believe that live worm angling is an art, when done properly. In my opinion, JRW was flat out an artist when it came to live worm angling and I hope that I've become half the artist that he obviously was. By using these simple, yet effective tips, you to can elevate your live worm angling as well.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country…..Montana!

The Original Bait Bag: http://www.jrwfishing.com/bait_pouch.asp

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