Author Archives: rivertoprambles

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!

The Wild Boy Campfire, 1891

Posted on November 29, 2019

1/ So, Mr. Goodyear and his men believed they owned the place– the forests of northern Pennsylvania, the mountains good for building railroads over, the sawmills great for gobbling up the white pine first and then the giant hemlocks… Hold … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged forest fires, Goodyear, Hawthorn, Hide-Behind, history, House of Seven Gables, lumbering, narration, nature, Pennsylvania, poetry, Salem, Wild Boy Campfire, wilderness, wildlife, witches, writing | 9 Comments

The Wild Boy Cycle, 1870

Posted on November 19, 2019

Winter: Klukey died in a bear trap he had set near Kettle Creek. Klukey died three miles from his cabin, wandering in the deep snow till his feet accidently struck the pan. Those jaws sprang up– held him through the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged fishing, history, Independence, jumping the back fence, literature, nature, personal narratives, poetry, seasons, Sinnemahoning, Walt Franklin, Wild Boy Cycle, writing | 16 Comments

Autumn Letter

Posted on November 11, 2019

The day begins like a sheet of paper waiting for words. Its composition won’t go digital until later, when darkness comes again. Two bald eagles sit together on a carcass near the road as I go speeding by, wishing I … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bob Dylan, composition, Egg, fishing, football, friendship, Henry James, hooks, letters, nature, poetry, Slate Run, trout flies, Walt Franklin, writing | 18 Comments

A Thin Man Fishing

Posted on November 7, 2019

Physically, the thin man isn’t really thin but, looking at a thread-bare autumn day, he felt that way– just basic flesh and bone, reduced to seasonal elements. His summer garments had been stripped away, replaced by heavy clothing to ward … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged fiction, fly-fishing, hiking, invasive species, narrative, nature, non-fiction, Pennsylvania, poetry, society, thin man, Walt Franklin, wild trout, wilderness, writing | 13 Comments

Jumping the Back Fence

Posted on October 30, 2019

Wild Boy Run was named for Lewis “Wild Boy” Stevens who settled on the Pennsylvania mountain stream in 1842. Born to alcoholic and abusive parents, Stevens “jumped the back fence” of his home (in New Jersey) at age eleven and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged brook trout, fishing, hiking, history, jumping the fence, Lake Ontario tribs, Lewis Stevens, narrative, peace, Pennsylvania, poetry, Salmon River, small streams, war, Wild Boy Run | 18 Comments

Welcome to Paradise

Posted on October 17, 2019

Luckily there was no pearly gate to pass through, just a sign that read “Welcome to Fisherman’s Paradise,” a warm welcome to Spring Creek on a cool October morning. Luckily for me, an entrance to one of America’s most storied … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged beer, Bellefonte, environment, Fisherman's Paradise, fly-fishing, limestone creeks, nature, PA, pollution, Spring Creek, State College, stream remediation, technology, Walt Franklin, wild trout, writing | 18 Comments

Shape-Shifter

Posted on October 7, 2019

My evening climbs up the seasonal roadway typically did not produce unusual wildlife sightings, but a recent walk proved to be exceptional. Before I reached my spruce and pine grove on the east side of the gravel road, I saw … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Asaph, bear, cougar, fisher, fishing, hiking, homestead, narratives, nature, poetry, psychology, shape-shifter, UFOs, Walt Franklin, wild economy, writing | 23 Comments

The Caddis Hour

Posted on October 2, 2019

The Caddis Hour is not so much about fishing as it is a state of mind. I visited a stretch of Genesee River that I probably hadn’t waded in a decade. It was mid-morning. River pools, low and thirsty, were … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birds, blessings, brown trout, caddis, Chester Rods, Earth, environment, fly-fishing, Genesee River, nature, poetry, populations, psychology, Time, wildness, writing | 12 Comments

Fall (The Starred Horizon)

Posted on September 24, 2019

I spent most of Sunday morning in the comfortable waters of the Allegheny River. I had little reason to move. The weather was perfect and the fish (both hatchery and wild) were rising in a long deep pool. For the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Allegheny River, autumn, environment, finicky, fly-fishing, hatchery trout, matching the hatch, nature, personal narratives, salvation, selectivity, trout, Wiscoy Creek, writing | 11 Comments

Gray Hair and Grizzly Hackle

Posted on September 18, 2019

Ever since I joined several outdoor organizations and started to attend their regular meetings in the 1990s, I’ve been hearing a general complaint: Look around this room. Our hair is gray. We need some younger people, bright new faces interested … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged activism, brown trout, commentary, community, environment, fishing, nature, poetry, Slate Run, society, Time, Walt Franklin, writing, youth | 18 Comments