Langholm was home to the Esk and Liddle* Fisheries Association which controlled angling in local rivers, renowned for salmon and trout. It set rules and regulations, decided the opening and closing dates for angling in each river section, and set the prices of angling tickets.

* Now usually spelled ‘Liddel’.

The River Esk flows south-east through Eskdale (a dale being a wide valley), then south-west to the Solway Firth. It is sometimes described as the ‘Border Esk’ to distinguish it from the ‘Lothian Esk’ which flows north-east into the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh.

The Liddle passes through Liddesdale and joins the Esk. Some of the Liddle and Esk form part of the Scotland-England border.

The E&L provided a weekly report on local fish catches. In one week in August 1915, for example, over two hundred sea trout, yellow trout and other fish were caught. Fish populations in the rivers in prior years were even better when the Association leased some nets positioned at the mouth of the River Esk in the Solway Firth and removed them to allow more fish to travel upstream.

The secretary of the Association was Robert McGeorge, solicitor, and the proprietary members were:

• The 6th Duke of Buccleuch.
• Representatives of the late Colonel Malcolm of Burnfoot.
• Representatives of the late Mr Bell of Crurie (Eskdalemuir).
• Mr Beattie of Davington.
• Mr Maxwell of Broomholm.

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