Worm grunting, Worm charming, worm fiddling

Worm grunting, Worm charming, worm fiddling are all the same. Worm grunting is a method of attracting earthworms from the ground. The activity is usually performed to collect bait for fishing but can also take the form of a competitive sport. 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 vibrating the soil, 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, 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 saw 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.