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The River Esk


The North and South Esk are rivers of Forfar, falling into the sea near

Montrose. The North Esk is the best of the two, and affords excellent

angling for salmon and sea-trout in August and September. These rivers

may be visited by rail from Aberdeen or Dundee, at the present day. I

have been told by a gentleman residing at Forfar, that the North Esk was

sometimes swarming with salmon and grilse to an incredible extent. The
/> wealthy proprietor of the river will give instant permission to

gentlemen to fly fish, information of which he can obtain at the town of

Montrose, on the Great Northern Railroad.



The flies to suit these rivers are small and plain. A small claret fly

with mallard wings; a fly with brown body and a furnace hackle, mallard

wings mixed with blue peacock neck feather, strips of mallard in tail,

and gold. Hook C or CC.



An orange body fly of floss silk, a black hackle, gold, the wings mixed

of light and dark mallard, the light feathers are found under the wings

of the wild drake on the body, the brown copper-coloured ones on its

back growing down from the roots of the wings, (use floss silk for the

bodies). A black fly, with silver and black hackle, and teal wings mixed

with blue peacock neck. Hook C or CC.



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