Worm charming
Encyclopedia
Earthworm
Earthworm 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 bait
Fishing lure
A fishing lure is an object attached to the end of a fishing line which is designed to resemble and move like the prey of a fish. The purpose of the lure is to use movement, vibration, and colour to catch the fish's attention so it bites the hook...
for fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild 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 sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
. 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
Vibration 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 soil
Soil
Soil 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...
, 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 moles
Mole (animal)
Moles are small cylindrical mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They have velvety fur; tiny or invisible ears and eyes; and short, powerful limbs with large paws oriented for digging. The term is especially and most properly used for the true moles, those of the Talpidae family in the...
, 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. "Worm fiddling" also uses a wooden stake but utilises a dulled saw
Saw
A 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 fête
Fête
Fête is a French word meaning festival, celebration or party, which has passed into English as a label that may be given to certain events.-Description:It is widely used in England and Australia in the context of a village fête,...
at Willaston County Primary School in Willaston
Willaston, Crewe and Nantwich
Willaston 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...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. The
World Worm Charming Championships 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, England
England
England 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, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
who raised 567 worms during Britain's World Worm Charming Championship.
Rules of The British and European Federation of Wormcharmers include a plot no greater than 3 metres by 3 metres, 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).
Devon Worm Charming Festival
There is also the International Festival of Worm Charming which takes place in South Devon in South West England during the early May Bank Holiday. Although the event does not rival the World Worm Charming Championships, it is fundamentally different in that it has a much more vibrant and colourful passage as the event is aimed at primarily attracting youngsters to get close up and personal with the creatures. It has been running since 1984 and thus far has enjoyed world-wide patronage. The Festival is also accompanied by a Real Ale Beer FestivalBeer festival
A Beer Festival is an organised event during which a variety of beers are available for tasting and purchase. Beer festivals are held in a number of countries...
and other quintessentially English activities.
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 the 5th, 2010American Worm Gruntin' Festival
In 2000 the "Worm Gruntin' Festival" began in SopchoppySopchoppy, Florida
Sopchoppy 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...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, which claims to be the "Worm Gruntin' Capital of the World". The event includes a ball and the crowning of a "Worm Gruntin' King and Queen".