Worm charming,
worm grunting, and
worm fiddling are methods of attracting
earthwormEarthworm is the common name for the largest members of Oligochaeta in the phylum Annelida. In classical systems they were placed in the order Opisthopora, on the basis of the male pores opening posterior to the female pores, even though the internal male segments are anterior to the female...
s from the ground. The activity is usually performed to collect
baitIn terms of recreational fishing, a lure is an object attached to the end of the fishing line and designed to resemble and move like an item of fish prey. The purpose of the lure is to use movement, vibrations, and color to catch the fish's attention to make them bite the hook...
for
fishingFishing is the activity of catching fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
but can also take the form of a competitive
sportSport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determinant of the outcome , but the term is also used to include activities such as...
. As a skill and profession worm charming is now very rare, with the art being passed through generations to ensure that it survives.
Most worm charming methods involve
vibratingVibration refers to mechanical oscillations about an equilibrium point. The oscillations may be periodic such as the motion of a pendulum or random such as the movement of a tire on a gravel road.Vibration is occasionally "desirable"...
the
soilSoil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics. It is composed of particles of broken rock that have been altered by chemical and...
, which encourages the worms to the surface.
Worm charming,
worm grunting, and
worm fiddling are methods of attracting
earthwormEarthworm is the common name for the largest members of Oligochaeta in the phylum Annelida. In classical systems they were placed in the order Opisthopora, on the basis of the male pores opening posterior to the female pores, even though the internal male segments are anterior to the female...
s from the ground. The activity is usually performed to collect
baitIn terms of recreational fishing, a lure is an object attached to the end of the fishing line and designed to resemble and move like an item of fish prey. The purpose of the lure is to use movement, vibrations, and color to catch the fish's attention to make them bite the hook...
for
fishingFishing is the activity of catching fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
but can also take the form of a competitive
sportSport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determinant of the outcome , but the term is also used to include activities such as...
. As a skill and profession worm charming is now very rare, with the art being passed through generations to ensure that it survives.
Methods
Most worm charming methods involve
vibratingVibration refers to mechanical oscillations about an equilibrium point. The oscillations may be periodic such as the motion of a pendulum or random such as the movement of a tire on a gravel road.Vibration is occasionally "desirable"...
the
soilSoil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics. It is composed of particles of broken rock that have been altered by chemical and...
, which encourages the worms to the surface. In 2008 researchers from Vanderbilt University demonstrated that the worms surface because the vibrations are similar to those produced by digging
molesMoles are the majority of the members of the mammal family Talpidae in the order Soricomorpha. Although moles burrow, some species are semi-aquatic. Moles have cylindrical bodies covered in fur, with small or covered eyes; the ears are generally not visible. They eat small invertebrates living...
, which prey on earthworms. The same technique is used by many species of bird, who 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. "Worm fiddling" also uses a wooden stake but utilises a dulled
sawA saw is a tool that uses a hard blade or wire with an abrasive edge to cut through softer materials. The cutting edge of a saw is either a serrated blade or an abrasive...
which is dragged along its top.
Techniques vary from sprinkling the turf with water, tea and beer to acupuncture, music or just "twanging" with a garden fork. In some organized competitions, detergents and mechanical diggers have been banned.
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.
Worm charming 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 being declared as the winners. They usually have a zone in which to perform their charming, measuring three yards square.
One of the first worm charming events took place in a school
fêteFête is a French word meaning festival, celebration or party, which has passed into English as a label that may be given to certain events.It is widely used in England and Australia in the context of a village fête,...
at Willaston County Primary School in
WillastonWillaston is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in north-west England. It has a population of 2,277 people according to the 2001 census. It is approximately three miles west of Crewe town centre and two miles east of Nantwich...
,
CheshireCheshire ; also known, archaically, as the County of Chester) is a ceremonial county in North West England. The traditional county town is the city of Chester, although Cheshire's largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Widnes, Runcorn, Macclesfield,...
. The "World Worm Charming Championship" started in 1980 and is now an annual event that celebrates the sport. It was organised by then-headmaster John Bailey, who wrote the original rules for the competition.
The current world record was established on June 29, 2009 by 10-year-old Sophie Smith of Willaston,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
who raised 567 worms during Britain's World Worm Charming Championship.
Rules of the The British and European Federation of Wormcharmers include a plot no greater than 3 ft by 4 ft, a five-minute warm up period, a three-person team of charmer, catcher and counter and that all worms must be returned to the ground after the contest (according to the British Association of Worm Length Supporters (BAWLS).
The US
In 2000 the "Worm Gruntin' Festival" began in
SopchoppySopchoppy is a city in Wakulla County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 426 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
,
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
, which claims to be the "Worm Gruntin' Capital of the World". The event includes a ball and the crowning of a "Worm Gruntin'
QueenA beauty contest, or beauty pageant, is a competition based mainly on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
".
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