Fishing with Worms and Live Bait
- Ian Gordon
- Jun 19
- 3 min read
Trout and Salmon Magazine recently asked me if there was a place for worming in todays world of salmon Fishing? For my answer to this you will have to get next months magazine.
My earliest and most vivid fishing memory is one of catching my first fish with a worm. This simple, live bait, which brought immense joy to me as a boy and later as a ghillie, was many people's introduction to fishing in my generation. While I regret not becoming more proficient in worm fishing, my natural progression to spin and fly fishing led me down a different path. Yet, even now at 62, having caught countless fish on the fly, the pure excitement of that first fish, and me showing it to my Mum and both grannies remains with me.
This story reminded me also of one particularly memorable day on the Spey River highlighted the magic of worming. A family of keen fly fishers, unfamiliar with worming, arrived for their second day met with heavy rain and the river in spate conditions, totally unsuitable for fly fishing. Fortunately, at that time, my employer permitted worm fishing in such situations. The children's disappointment at the sight of the muddy river the following day was obvious. They were ready to leave, but I suggested trying the worm. Their confused "What's the worm?" look, quickly turned to typical childhood fascination as I demonstrated. Worm attached to the line on the flyrod and casting just 20 feet from the bank, I focused the children's attention on the point where the line met the water. The first nibble grabbed their attention! I explained how I could feel the fish taking the bait. After a tense wait, watching each twitch of the rod, I struck anda gleaming 10lb salmon leapt from the water, astonishing everyone. With enough tackle for all, we enjoyed the most memorable and fantastic day, landing a number of salmon, sea trout, brown trout, and eels. Years later, at a Gamefair, the family still spoke of that incredible day, overshadowing even the daughter's first salmon caught on the fly at age five.
Fishing, in all its forms, is about the anticipation of connecting with fish and pitting our wits against something 100% wild. Whether it's on a fly, by spinning, or with a worm, the excitement for the angler is equally intense. The choice of method is personal and, in my opinion, should never be judged against another.
This was powerfully reinforced during a recent trip with clients fishing for Bonefish and Permit on the flats, followed by Tarpon fishing in deep water using live bait. Despite challenging conditions on the flats, we caught some nice Bonefish and small Tarpon. However, the Tarpon fishing was extraordinary. Like the children above, initially, some clients approached live bait fishing with skepticism, however, after two days and 53 fish averaging 40+lbs each, including several over 100lbs, the skepticism was quickly replaced by sheer excitement at playing so many fish and having so much action. The joke was - "The fly rods are going on eBay!"
After a lifetime of enjoying my flyfishing for salmon and other species, this latest experience reminded me that, irrespective of method, fishing is fishing and that “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”! The sheer elation of my guests to have so much fantastic, raw action over the last days, with fish after fish, brought back those great memories of my first wormed fish and the unforgettable day on the Spey. In all my years hosting fishing, I've never seen a group so happy. Everyone caught so many big fish I’m sure their arms were an inch longer!
I had targeted this time of the year to coincide with the run of big migratory tarpon, which frankly, having caught three over 100lbs, I’d no longer want to do again, however, when I next return the target will be lots of 15 – 40lb fish. and some of those will be targeted on the fly.
Should you like to join me on this amazing trip, a word of warning. Make sure you are ready for some serious fighting and the line being tight more times than its slack. Be prepared to catch the biggest fish of your life and have the time of your life, because for sure, it's going to happen, and you are about to have the most memorable fishing experience of your life.
Click Here for more info on the trip https://www.speyonline.com/fishing-trips
Contact me If you would like to join me when I go back later this year or to get onto next year's programme.
Dates are –
15th – 17th October 25. Fly out on the 14th and back on the 18th
Hi ian, looks like you had a great time. What a fantastic looking fish the tarpon is. Regarding using worms to catch salmon, my dad used to fish on the lune during the sixty’s, on a falling flood he would use his 13’6” fly rod and his hardy perfect fly reel, bounce a lead bomb along the bottom with a worm on the end. He caught loads of salmon using this method, you have to adapt to the conditions at the time. As an aside to this, I no an old timer on the Welsh Dee who loved nothing better than sitting on the river bank leadgring for salmon, but due to the misguided regulations imposed by natural resources wales,…