198 A SCOTTISH FLY-FISHER 



the trout escapes, trailing a yard or two of gut behind 

 it. When knowledge comes, however, wisdom does 

 not linger. With years and experience he acquires 

 command of his emotions and learns, in the school of 

 adversity, that the straightening of the line is sufficient 

 to fix the hook in all save the very smallest of fish. So 

 automatic becomes the lifting of the rod that the angler 

 is wholly unconscious of the act ; sometimes, indeed, 

 asserts and sincerely believes that he does not strike at 

 all. Once, discussing the subject with my gillie, I ex- 

 pressed the opinion that striking was quite unnecessary, 

 and gravely assured him that I never struck. His sole 

 response was a bland smile, in which I was obliged to 

 join, if a trifle less blandly, when, just at the moment, a 

 fish was missed and my flies were jerked suddenly into 

 the boat beside me. 



As we know, the trout are unequally distributed 

 throughout the stream. They exhibit a decided pre- 

 ference for certain situations, and within these each 

 occupies a position of his own which he has acquired 

 and which he holds on the Carlylean principle that 

 might is right. 



'^The good old rule 

 Sufficetli them, the simple plan. 

 That they should take who have the power. 



And they should keep who can." 



