Worm charming, worm grunting, and worm fiddling are methods of attracting

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s from the ground. The activity is usually performed to collect

bait Bait may refer to: General * Bait (luring substance), bait as a luring substance ** Fishing bait, bait used for fishing Film * ''Bait'' (1950 film), a British crime film by Frank Richardson * ''Bait'' (1954 film), an American noir film by Hugo ...

for

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...

but can also take the form of a competitive

sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

in areas such as the UK and

east Texas East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that comprises most of 41 counties. It is primarily divided into Northeast and Southeast Texas. Most of the region co ...

. As a skill and profession worm charming is now very rare, with the art being passed through generations to ensure that it survives.Sutton, Keith.

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

. 20 March 2007.
Fiddling For Worms
. Accessed 7 June 2007.Phillips, John E. MotherEarthNews.com. 1 May 1980.
Fiddling for fish bait
". Accessed 7 June 2007.

Methods

Most worm charming methods involve vibrating the

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...

, which encourages the worms to the surface. In 2008, researchers from Vanderbilt University claimed that the worms surface because the vibrations are similar to those produced by digging

moles Moles can refer to: * Moles de Xert, a mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain *The Moles (Australian band) *The Moles, alter ego of Scottish band Simon Dupree and the Big Sound People * Abraham Moles, French engin ...

, which prey on earthworms. The same technique is used by many species of bird, which devour the worms as they appear above ground. The activity is known by several different names and the apparatus and techniques vary significantly. "Worm grunting" generally refers to the use of a " stob", a wooden stake that is driven into the ground, and a "rooping iron" which is used to rub the stob.Tobin, Thomas C. ''St. Petersburg Times''. 14 April 2002.
Gruntin' and gathering
. Accessed 7 June 2007. "Worm fiddling" also uses a wooden stake but utilises a dulled saw which is dragged along its top. Techniques vary from sprinkling the turf with water, tea and beer, to music or just "twanging" with a garden fork.''Sunday Mirror'', "The war of the worms" article by Lucy Berrington, April 28, 1996
/ref> In some organized competitions, detergents and mechanical diggers have been banned.

Non-human animal behavior

Worm charming is a behavior also observed in animals other than humans, especially among birds. The methods used vary; however, tapping earth with feet to generate vibrations is widespread. One common example is the "

Seagull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and only distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century, ...

dance". The

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also seems to be adapted for worm charming, as it is known to stamp its feet – a behavior that attracts worms to the surface and allows the turtle to prey on them.

Soil conditions

Worms are most commonly found in damp or wet conditions and tend to move away from dry soil. The success of worm charming can often depend on these soil conditions, with charmers choosing damp locations or using water to attract the worms.

As a profession

Worms are sold as a live bait for fishermen, and many sellers use worm charming techniques to gather their stock. In some locations professional worm grunters need to obtain a permit in order to ply their trade.

Competitive worm charming

In most competitions, the fiddlers with the collector (or collectors) of the most worms in a set time are declared as the winners. They usually have a zone in which to perform their charming, measuring three yards square.

World Worm Charming Championship

One of the first worm charming events took place at an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

school

fête In Britain and some of its former colonies, fêtes are traditional public festivals, held outdoors and organised to raise funds for a charity. They typically include entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments. Village fêtes Village f ...

at Willaston County Primary School in Willaston,

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...

. The World Worm Charming Championships started in 1980 and is now an annual event. It was organised by then-deputy headmaster John Bailey, who wrote the original rules for the competition. The event claims to have originated when in 1980 a local Willaston farmer's son Tom Shufflebotham charmed 511 worms in half an hour. The current world record was established on 29 June 2009, by 10-year-old Sophie Smith of Willaston, England, who raised 567 worms during Britain's World Worm Charming Championship. There are 18 rules of this event as determined by the International Federation of Charming Worms and Allied Pastimes (IFCWAP). These stipulate that each competitor operates within a 3 x 3 metre plot, may only use vibrations or music to attract worms, is not allowed to dig or use "drugs" to attract worms (including water or other liquids), may stick a garden fork into the ground and vibrate it to encourage worms and all worms must be returned to the ground once the birds have gone to roost on the evening of the event. This is to prevent a 'feast' for the birds after the event. The competition returned in 2022, after missing 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.

Devon Worm Charming Festival

Also known as the International Festival of Worm Charming, this event takes place in the small village of

Blackawton Blackawton is a village and civil parish in the South Hams district of Devon, England. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 647. ''Blackawton'' is a major part of the West Dart electoral ward. The ward's population at the 2 ...

, South Devon, during the early May Bank Holiday. It has been running since 1984 and is accompanied by a

Real Ale Real ale is the name coined by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for beer that is "brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous car ...

Beer Festival A beer festival is an event at which a variety of beers are available for purchase. There may be a theme, for instance beers from a particular area, or a particular brewing style such as winter ales. Asia * Singapore holds an annual Beer Festiva ...

and other activities. The genesis of the event occurred in 1983, when Dave Kelland after returning home from drinking at The Normandy Arms relieved himself in a field and was surprised to see worms come to the surface giving him inspiration for the competition. The event has been held at The Normandy Arms ever since. Unlike the World Worm Charming Championships at Cheshire, 'forking' the ground is not allowed however the use of water is.

Cornwall Worm Charming Championships

A new world charming championship was established in 2021 by local artist Georgia Gendall with the inaugural competition held in Penryn. However, the event in 2022 in Falmouth demonstrated the effects of

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

on Worm Charming with a

heat wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

leading to only a singe worm being charmed.

Canadian Worm Charming Championship and Festival

The Great Canadian Worm Charming Championship and Festival Canadian Competition was held at the Shelburne Fiddle Park in Shelburne, Ontario, on June 9, 2012.

American Worm Gruntin' Festival

The town of Sopchoppy,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

, has held an annual "Worm Gruntin' Festival" since 2000. The event includes a ball and the crowning of a "Worm Gruntin' King and Queen". Sopchoppy is one of the settings and worm grunting a plot element in the 2017 novel ''Clownfish Blues'' by

Tim Dorsey Tim Dorsey (born January 25, 1961) is an American novelist. He is known for a series starring Serge A. Storms, a mentally disturbed vigilante antihero who rampages across Florida enforcing his own moral code against a variety of low-life criminal ...

References

External links

Associated Press video demonstrating worm gruntingThe World Worm Charming ChampionshipWorm grunting mystery solved
{{fishing rod topics Recreational fishing Animals in sport Articles containing video clips