Rick McGreal wrote:

Someone mentioned a way to gather worms....

Something about a plastic sheet after rain?

I have been searching through the news archive...But not found anything
right....But I think it doesn't go back far enough...
All I can find is stuff on using worms in composting....

All I want to do is gather a few....

Tea!

Years ago, my mother used to empty the tea pot on to a patch of bare
soil in a corner of a flower bed, rather than pour them down the sink,
in order to avoid blocking the sink.

By accident, I discovered this wet tea-soaked patch was full of worms,
especially brandlings (small ones). I don't think it was just that this
patch was damp but the tea was having a definite effect.

The other very effective method is to have a look at the lawn at night,
especially when the ground is damp. The large 'lumbricus' earth worms
come out to feed, pulling leaves down into their burrows. You do need to
be quick - they keep their tail in the burrow and can retract very
quickly. They are also sensitive to vibrations. However, some really
large ones come to the surface - up to 18" long at full stretch.
However, this method does require crawling around on the lawn late at
night with a torch, so could cause some problems with neighbours and
police ;-))
--
Larry Stoter