ARE TROUT CUNNING? 113 



and new lines when the old ones are 

 wearing a little rotten ; and usually it is 

 remarkable for simplicity and emphasis. 

 "Nae use ava'," he will often say, in 

 cheerful condemnation of a whole boxful 

 of what he calls " fancy flees " : " here are 

 the flees that tak' a' the year roond," 

 opening a case which contains blae-wings 

 and woodcocks, some with red hackles, 

 others with black, others with busldngs of 

 hare's-ear, and a few flies of hackle only. 



If your visit to the good man is before 

 the end of April, he will commend to you 

 pretty large flies ; but after that midges 

 only have his approval. Morning, or 

 noon, or night, it is only midges, he 

 assures you, that are any use. "Even 

 doon the burn, where the tide comes up 

 frae the sea, the water," he explains, " is 

 sair hard-fished nooadays, and the troot 

 are awfu' cunnin', and wi'na' look at ony- 

 thing but midges." Here and there you 

 may find a trader in tackle who says some- 

 thing else ; but all the tales are variants 

 of the same rather pessimistic unbelief 



