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The chief angling rivers in the county of Forfar- 

 shire are the North and South Esk, the Isla, and the 

 Tay. The two last have been noticed under Perth- 

 shire. The Forth and South Esk are fine, clear, 

 sparkling streams, and abound with a great quantity 

 of trout, though not of very large size. The rivers 

 have fine gravelly beds, and their rippling streams 

 are most delightful to the fly-fisher. The salmon 

 here are of excellent quality, and have, on some 

 occasions, been caught of a most stupendous size. 

 A gentleman in the neighbourhood, in 1829, killed 

 one with fly, fifty -four pounds. The fish struggled 

 hard for five hours. Had not the streams been 

 very favourably situated, his capture could not 

 have been effected. 



The Forth Esk issues from Lochlee, which re- 

 ceives its waters from the mountain torrents of the 

 Grampians. The river flows south east, and is aug- 

 mented in its progress by many smaller streams, all 

 of which are full of fish, and afford excellent sport 

 with the worm, in the hot and dry days of summer, 

 when it is too clear for the fly in the main river. 

 When the Forth Esk becomes the northern boundary 

 of the county, and receives the West Water and the 

 Water Cruick, it flows a south easterly direction, 

 through a very fertile and delightful country, and 

 falls into the sea about three miles north of the town 

 of Montrose. It is subject to great and impetuous 

 inundations ; and, in every part of its course, you 

 may see deep ravines in the bed of the river, pro- 

 duced from the overwhelming floods which pour 



