About rivertoprambles
Welcome to Rivertop Rambles. This is my blog about the headwaters country-far afield or close to home. I've been a fly-fisher, birder, and naturalist for most of my adult life. I've also written poetry and natural history books for thirty years. In Rambles I will mostly reflect on the backcountry of my Allegheny foothills in the northern tier of Pennsylvania and the southern tier of New York State. Sometimes I'll write about the wilderness in distant states, or of the wild places in the human soul. Other times I'll just reflect on the domestic life outdoors. In any case, I hope you enjoy. Let's ramble!
Tim and I got out on New Year’s Day, resuming our tradition of hitting the brow of winter right between the eyes. Eighteen Mile Creek was new to both of us. We’d known about it, and were thankful that our … Continue reading →
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Tagged Eighteen Mile Creek, Genesee River, John Bartles, music, nature, Oak Orchard, poetry, skunk cabbage, steelhead, Thoreau, traditions, trout, winter fly-fishing, writing
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The joy of a holiday gathering for our family was clouded by the rapidly fading health of a long-time pet. Alfalfa, a loveable old housecat that resided at the Franklin residence for a dozen years, succumbed to an illness that … Continue reading →
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Tagged animal tracks, bobcat, cycles, family, fishing, house cats, nature, pets, poetry, traditions, wild, winter, winter holidays, writing
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[In this rapidly changing world of ours, I’m glad that some things are relatively stable and unchanging. For example, it’s December and the winter snow and ice are here again, and Old Woodenhead (my alter-ego of December’s Holi-Daze) has made … Continue reading →
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Tagged Allegheny River, blogging, Christmas, environment, fly-fishing, headwaters, Nine Mile Run, Old Woodenhead, photography, Pine Creek, small streams, Wings Over Water, winter holidays, writing
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[Many readers of Rivertop Rambles will recognize the name, Bob Stanton. Bob has been a follower and supporter of this blog from its early years on down to the present. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him, first on RR … Continue reading →
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Tagged Allegheny River, Bob Stanton, brook trout, environment, fishing, fly-fishing, hiking, history, nature, tenkara, tenkara rods, traditions
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I spent a few days near Thanksgiving being grateful not only for friends, family and supporters but also for our National Park system, which includes Shenandoah, where I caught a break from premature winter in the Northlands. It was a … Continue reading →
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Tagged environment, family, fly-fishing, hiking, holidays, nature, photography, Shenandoah, simplicity, travel, writing
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In two days of fishing, eight days apart, I caught enough salmon to last me, in spirit, for the year. The ancestors of these fresh-run fishes came from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and it was good to meet this … Continue reading →
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Tagged alienation, Atlantic, autumn, beauty, diversity, environment, fly-fishing, government, nature, oceans, Pacific, photograpy, salmon
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Relative to other Octobers that I recall, this month has been drab and wet, with little change in the color of the foliage, and with few fish caught on my various ventures. Several highlights, however, come to mind and beg … Continue reading →
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Tagged brown trout, earplugs, energy, environment, fishing, friendship, Kettle Creek, nature, resistance, salmon, snobbery, soapbox, social-economic class, wind turbines, writing
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Quonochontaug Pond, or “Quonnie Pond,” as it’s known to many locals, is a salt lagoon (or lake) located in southern Rhode Island. The pond, with its 4.5 mile shoreline, became my touchstone for saltwater fly-fishing in the state when I … Continue reading →
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Tagged Atlantic, birding, fly-fishing, nature, Newport, photography, Providence, Quonochontaug, Rhode Island, salt marsh, saltwater fishing, sanctuary, striped bass, Touchstone
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1/ The first full day of autumn brought the usual blend of premonition and seasonal promise. I drove to Lyman Run, thankful for the sweatshirt on a morning as chilly as the John Cale tunes, like “Fear is a Man’s … Continue reading →
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Tagged autumn, fly-fishing, hiking, nature, Pennsylvania, photography, September, small streams, transitions, trout, wild, writing
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