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
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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.