Work by Susan Fraser:: Poem by Gerda Stevenson

Textile art

A Megan Boyd Fishing Fly for Prince Charles, July, 1981 

Megan Boyd, born Surrey, 1915, moved to Brora as a child, where she spent her adult life alone in a cottage without electricity; died in Golspie, 2001; awarded the British Empire Medal; widely regarded as the greatest fly tyer in the world, receiving orders from all over the globe.

From Quines by Gerda Stevenson

Artist’s statement

Title of work: Temptation

I have fished for salmon for over sixty years in a river in the north of Scotland so I was immediately drawn to this poem. I have tried to capture the bright colours and textures of the feathers, the beauty of flies in a fly box and the sparkle of the water as they dance through the ripples of the river. The expert fly tyer may use as many as fifty different feathers and furs in one fly less than an inch long. It has been a privilege to research the life and skills of Megan Boyd who worked and lived alone in a cottage without electricity in a remote area and to bring the recognition of her skills to a wider audience. Although she died in 2001 her flies are still much sought after. It has been said she was the Faberge of fly tying.