THE NORTH ESK 



131 



while the anghng of the whole of the rest of the river yielded but 

 eighteen or twenty salmon and some fifty grilse ! In addition there 

 were some sixty or seventy sea trout taken on the whole of the 

 fishings. 



In 1897 four rods fishing the Morphie and Ivinnairdy water 

 had in three days, from the 21st of October, twenty-four heavy 

 fish, of which the largest, of 38 lb., fell to the rod of Mr. W. H. Jones. 



This river opens for rod and net on the i6th of February ; the 

 latter coming off on the 31st of August and the former on the 

 31st of October. If these seasons were fixed to end respectively 

 on the 20th of August and the 20th of October, if the weekly close 

 time were extended by an additional twelve hours, if the goil of 

 Craigo dam were made perfectly right, and if the fall called the 

 Loup on the Westwater at Edzell were made easily passable, then 

 in a few years angling on this beautiful river would be eagerly sought 

 for both in spring and autumn, while the extra stock of fish let 

 into the river by the lengthened close time and the fresh breeding 

 grounds opened up above the Loup would speedily bring back to 

 the netters the good times when they took their 30,000 fish each 

 season. 



The best flies are Silver Grey, Jock Scot, Red Rover for dark 

 water, and Childers. Bait-fishing is not prohibited, and minnows, 

 prawns, and worms will all kill. Wading trousers are necessary. 



In 1904, in September and October, the rods took 163 salmon, 

 27 lb. the heaviest, and 99 grilse. 



In 1905, 207 salmon, 55 grilse, 30 lb. the heaviest. 



In 1906, 140 salmon, 114 grilse, 31 lb. the heaviest. 



In 1907, 209 salmon, 39 grilse, 37^ lb. the heaviest, taken on 

 Craigo. 



In 1908, 



In 1909, 

 Craigo. 



The autumn fishing of this river is all that the angler need 

 concern himself with. The nets do not come off until 31st August, 

 instead of the 26th as in nearly aU other East Coast rivers. I have 

 tried in vain to account for this extension of five days — it is probably 

 due to local influence and the love of the bawbee ! The Craigo 

 water is perhaps the best stretch for the rod — it runs for about one 

 and three-quarter miles on the west or left bank from Marykirk 

 Bridge down to the Den of Morphie. The catches on this section 

 have been as follows : — 



379 salmon, 73 grilse, 34 lb. the heaviest. 



139 salmon, 37 grilse, 38 lb. the heaviest, caught on 



