Exclusive for Worms

[Phone]

Worms,

 

Worms, earthworms to be exact are invasive to North America.

 

I am reading a new nonfiction. "1493 by Charles C. Mann" (2010). Worms, earthworms, to be exact, it seems came here via dirt on English ships. England, more than you know, shaped the destiny of every angler in North America (including the "native" Americans, the Indians). Our "native" Indians probably "invaded" North America about 10,000 years ago from Russia during the end of the last ice age.

 

Thanks for the worms,

 

Phone

[Phone]

Ohh Worms??

 

Phone

[Worms]

Ohh Worms??

 

Phone

Sorry Phone, I was out!

 

You're welcome to the worms Phone, though I believe you do have some native ones, Our 'earthworm', or 'lobworm' is truly the best fishing bait.......and, probably not widely known, precisely the reason for my forum name

[Newt]

As is the case with so many "common" creatures and items, there is some confusion between UK & US naming.

 

Canadian Nightcrawler / European lobworm (Lumbricus terrestris) are deep borrowing worms that prefer normal soil. I suspect this is what you are calling a lobworm. Great fishing worms but tough to manage in many parts of the US since they need cool temperatures and will die if you take them fishing in Spring - early Autumn without keeping them in a cooler with some ice.

 

The next two are more often found in manure piles or very rich, loamy soil. Also good for compost bins which L terrestris is not. They tolerate warm conditions so are easy to maintain when fishing in warmer climates.

 

Red Worms (Eisenia fetida) – a.k.a: Red Wigglers, Brandling Worms, Manure Worms, Trout Worms, Tiger Worms. One of the most popular US fishing worms.

 

European Nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis) - a.k.a: Belgian Nightcrawlers, Euros, ENCs - similar to red worms but much larger.

[Worms]

As is the case with so many "common" creatures and items, there is some confusion between UK & US naming.

 

Canadian Nightcrawler / European lobworm (Lumbricus terrestris) are deep borrowing worms that prefer normal soil. I suspect this is what you are calling a lobworm. Great fishing worms but tough to manage in many parts of the US since they need cool temperatures and will die if you take them fishing in Spring - early Autumn without keeping them in a cooler with some ice.

 

The next two are more often found in manure piles or very rich, loamy soil. Also good for compost bins which L terrestris is not. They tolerate warm conditions so are easy to maintain when fishing in warmer climates.

 

Red Worms (Eisenia fetida) – a.k.a: Red Wigglers, Brandling Worms, Manure Worms, Trout Worms, Tiger Worms. One of the most popular US fishing worms.

 

European Nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis) - a.k.a: Belgian Nightcrawlers, Euros, ENCs - similar to red worms but much larger.

It gets even more confusion when we call the Brandling Eisenia fetida, or Dendroboena sp.! (new, Eisenia scientific name not yet universally accepted) and red worms are (traditionally) Lumbricus rubellus, I have noticed that some of your list of common names is more commonly acceptable in the UK now, probably as a result of 'composting' worms becoming readily available.

 

I remember fishing for trout in the lake district using 'brandlings' and an Aussie asked me if I was using 'tiger' worms....I gave him a blank look before he looked in my baitbox and declared them to be the latter!......perhaps there are some Aussies that now call them brandlings as well?

Edited August 24, 2011 by Worms

[Newt]

It can get confusing. We move around a fair bit and when we get to a new area, I have to look at the available worms before I know what name to use when asking for red worms or for night crawlers (the names in use where I grew up). I also had to learn that Canadian Nightcrawlers (lobworms) turn soft & mushy in a couple of hours in summer unless they are on ice and die soon after that.

[Phone]

All,

 

So, which one do you figure came in the soil on early sailing ships? Red worms or night crawlers? This stupid book, which I am enjoying very much and would highly recommend, makes it look like ALL our earthworms are from England. Haven't looked, the author must be English.

 

Newt,

We also call red worms "red wigglers" and they are often "whacky" hooked now days. For pan fish you didn't need to waste a whole worm anyway.

In MO we have some gray-green worms, about the size of red worms, that stink to high heaven. Never liked them for fishing. Still, you could find them in the garden from time to time.

 

Phone

[Newt]

"We also call red worms "red wigglers"

 

That's what they call them in this part of Florida too.

[Worms]

All,

 

So, which one do you figure came in the soil on early sailing ships? Red worms or night crawlers? This stupid book, which I am enjoying very much and would highly recommend, makes it look like ALL our earthworms are from England. Haven't looked, the author must be English.

Could be any species I suppose, the lobworms (Lumbricus terrestris), are more likely have turned up as 'cocoons' and then hatched. I'm guessing that the soil was transported as potted plants? Lumbricus rubbelus, similarly. Eisenia as either 'cocoons' or adults in compost, dung, or the soil itself which I would imagine would need extensive feeding with the former to last a trip of such length!

 

I doubt the author's English....not if they're wrong