Hillend trees and flees!

Went for a walk yesterday afternoon at Hillend and noticed that the jetty has been damaged by the storms we had last week and that part of it is lying in the narrows near the cottage half submerged. I walked round the back of the cottage and up the hill at the narrows and up along the dyke that runs along the hill to the the big tree, my favourite spot to sit and gaze across the loch. There were quite a number of old trees blown down by the recents winds which I often think is sad as these trees in some cases are over a 100 years old. I then decided to walk over to the old estate house which has lay derelict since 1937, the course over to the house proved more difficult than I first thought as I had to negotiate some serious bog to get there. It must have been a magnificent house in its day with a great view looking toward the loch.

I have often wondered why the boathouse bay at Hillend is so called as there is no sign of any boathouse what so ever I can only guess that there must have been one at some time in the past as the old estate house is only about 300 yards away in the woods.

I then continued on my walk up to the point of the woods and then round the back and cut through the woods back to the bay , down the narrows back to car and then off home. After a nice hot drink I sat down at the vice and tied a few flies the best of which was the one above.