The Bellart

I've now fished on the little Bellart river three times. It rises and falls with the falling rain and although rain rattled on the skylights in the night it had fallen a long was from its tumbling flood of the day before when I arrived around 8 am.

I tried the lower reaches where the river flows through a reedy floodplain. Then I moved up and up to the end of the three mile beat. The going is heavy and at times treacherous. At the top of the beat the peat-dark water was pulsing around a series of bends and deep-cut runs. Much to my surprise I caught a couple of beautiful silver sea trout on a Toby lure.

That made the long walk back to the car slightly easier.

In the afternoon The Boss and I visited the Calgary Arts center where we bought one of Treshnish's framed photos from her 'Island Shed' series. I had a chat with the wood carver there who had some very interesting kit.

In the evening we went out with the Treshnishes for a lovely get together and feed at the Ballygowan restaurant - a sort of pop-up-but-staying place in a croft house front room. It was very convivial and good to catch up.

Getting back to the Studio there was the message from my sister regarding my mum.

We went to sleep saddened with the rain pecking at the skylights.