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!
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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Anticipating heavy rainfall over the next couple of days, I decided to fish my home river again. I hadn’t touched base with the upper Genesee in New York for a while, and I needed to get reacquainted with its pools … Continue reading →
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Tagged blues guitar, fishing, fly-fishing, Genesee River, nature, Neil Young, Pflueger reels, roots, Roy Buchanan, trout, white dog
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The afternoon was hot and humid. The long holiday weekend was coming to a close; the family gathering had been energizing and fun. It was time, now, to bid farewell to the summer season with an hour or two of … Continue reading →
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Tagged bamboo fly rods, Chester fly rods, environment, fishing, fly-fishing, nature, seasons, Slate Run, travel, Walt Franklin, wild trout, writing
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My opportunity to fish the Driftless area of western Wisconsin was more like a homecoming than it was a clear response to all the good angling press the region has received over the last few decades. I spent my high … Continue reading →
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Tagged camping, coulees, cows, dairy, Driftless country, farming, fly-fishing, glaciation, LaCrosse, nature, reunions, The Driftless Angler, travel, trout, Viroqua, Wisconsin
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Fortified by our recent finds in Yellowstone country, my wife and I continued on our homeward route through northern Wyoming, drawn by the geography and myths of the land, toward Devils Tower and South Dakota’s Badlands. I was looking forward, … Continue reading →
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Tagged aliens, Badlands, birds, close encounters, Devils Tower, geography, national monuments, Native Americans, nature, Rocky Mountain sheep, tourism, travel, wildlife
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Before leaving Yellowstone, Leighanne and I stopped for a walk through the incredible Norris Geyser Basin featuring the massive and unpredictable Steamboat Geyser. Luckily for us, the geyser had erupted recently, shooting off steam and water to heights several times … Continue reading →
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Tagged Beaverhead, Big Horn Mountains, Big Sky, birds, fly-fishing, Gallatin River, geyser, Madison River, national parks, nature, Rocky Mountains, salmonfly, travel, volcano, wild trout, wildflowers, Wyoming, Yellowstone
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Our return visit to Alpine, Wyoming was a good one. We joked about retiring to this village, if we could afford its balanced charm– its small size, the hub of three rivers, with fly shop, comfortable motel, saloons, and crazy … Continue reading →
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Tagged cutthroats, family, fly-fishing, Greys River, hiking, national parks, nature, photography, Tetons, travel, wilderness, wildlife, Wyoming, Yellowstone
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Driving from Buena Vista, Colorado’s fine beer and pizza terraces, we climbed past Mt. Elbert’s snowy patches and over Independence Pass. We stopped for a tundra walk at 12,000 feet in altitude; the wildflowers and breath-taking scenery establishing an inspirational … Continue reading →
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Tagged brook trout, brown trout, Brush Creek, camping, Colorado, family, fly-fishing, Frying Pan, hiking, national forests, nature, Rocky Mountains, travel, wilderness
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I’m no expert on this Gold Medal river southwest of Denver. In fact, I just made my first visit to the South Platte in beautiful Colorado. My introduction to the famous trout stream below Cheesman Reservoir was made, in part, … Continue reading →
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Tagged Colorado, exploration, fishing, nature, Pike's Peak, Rocky Mountains, sense of place, South Platte River, travel, western landscapes, writing
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