Worm Charming

Worm Charming

Becca Robinson

The rules

The name of the game

So, how do you do it?

Choosing your method

In order to win the worm charming competition, one must use an approved method of charming (no liquid and no digging), must work alone or within their team (roughly 2-3 people, using ONE instrument ex. one can hold the pitchfork while the other taps, but two pitchforks may not be used), stay in their 3x3 area, use the approved container (a cup), and must work within the designated 15 minutes. Whoever draws the most worms to the surface when the timer ends, wins!

At the Willaston competition, wormers are prohibited from using liquids to bring worms to the surface. Probably because literally anyone can pour a glass of water on the ground, and it wouldn't be much of a competition that way. A wormer can use whatever physical tool they please, with the most common method being a rake in the ground, and then a metal tool being used to smack said rake. The vibrations are said to bring the worms up from the ground.

Why?

Besides being an odd competition in England, worm charming is used by fishermen around the world! Wormers are fishermen who, in their own ways, have perfected their craft of worming. Most wormers have their own ways of worming, but the maid method is one of two: by pouring liquid on the dirt, or by sending vibrations in the ground.

The action

Learn from the pros

Where?

How popular could this be?

In the following video you will see the main method of charming: using a pitchfork in the dirt and another piece of metal to hit it, or just using the pitchfork and wiggling it around. But, you will also see some people have their own unique ways of worming. Like river dancing!

Origins

Willaston, England, 1980

The international competition takes place in England, but there are other smaller competitions around the word. Including: Texas, Florida, and Canada! As you can see, its a lesser known competition; the international event only has and attendance of a little over 600 people.

The current world record is held by a 10-year-old girl, Sophie Smith, with 567 worms in 15 minutes.

Worm charming has been around for ages, and "wormers" have been using different methods to extract worms from the ground for years. It was not until 1980, that worm charming became a competition, rather than a fisherman's craft.

The origin story revolves around a man from Devon, England who relieved himself after a long night at a local bar. To his amazement worms mistook his pee as a rain shower, and came up in multitudes from the ground. He called his friends to come over and, 32 years later, the first mini-competition was held.

In a local school yard in Willaston, England, students sectioned off 3x3 squares in the dirt, where they began tapping the ground to see who could cope the most worms from the Earth. Since then, it has become an annual competition in Willaston.