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 Klamath Cheer

Posted on November 18, 2022 by rivertoprambles

I’ve seen the Klamath River but have never had the chance to fish it (yet). I remembered it recently when the good news filtered through abominable stews of economic, political, and environmental turmoil. Four dams on northern California’s Klamath River … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged dam removal, endangered salmon, energy, environment, FERC, fishing, good news, Klamath Falls, Klamath River, nature, river restoration, writing | 22 Comments

Golden Brown

Posted on October 28, 2022 by rivertoprambles

There were golden days this autumn, brilliant afternoons delightful for occasions on the trail or on the stream. I tried to make the most of them, getting outside when I could, and trying to fit some angling time into a … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged autumn, brown trout, Finger Lakes, fly-fishing, landscapes, nature, photos, rainbow trout, river days, writing | 16 Comments

More Than Fish That We Are After

Posted on October 19, 2022 by rivertoprambles

I’ve returned to fly-fishing the local rivers and smaller streams, my first solo outings on the water in quite some time. These were modest outings, casting bamboo and smaller graphite rods, catching and releasing a few nice browns that rose … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged autumn, fishing, fly-fishing, nature, poetry, prose, streamers, Thoreau, trout, writing | 19 Comments

Crazylegs

Posted on October 12, 2022 by rivertoprambles

Flipping through the pages of my old literary magazines, I recently found a piece that I had written long ago and had published in a Philadelphia magazine called LaZer (1994). I’d completely forgotten about this personal reflection from my youthful … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bar talk, Crazylegs, fiction, human nature, local history, poetry, realism, short story, writing | 14 Comments

A Diminished Thing

Posted on September 23, 2022 by rivertoprambles

On the last full day of summer, I experienced a somewhat inspirational event. It was a simple event but one that I could not have known earlier this year, prior to surgery on my spine in August. My brother and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birding, camping, hiking, Loyalsock Creek, poetry, Robert Frost, The Oven Bird, Time, World's End State Park, writing | 18 Comments

Newfoundland, Part 4, Conclusion

Posted on July 23, 2022 by rivertoprambles

First of all, we boarded ship with about 30 other passengers at O’Brien’s Boat Tours for a two-hour ride on the Atlantic in search for whales and puffins. Back at St. Johns, the manager at our boarding house had told … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Atlantic, birding, boating, dolphins, family, nature, Newfoundland, puffins, Screech, Screeched-in, travel, whales, writing | 20 Comments

Newfoundland, Part 3

Posted on July 22, 2022 by rivertoprambles

On our trans-island route to the eastern peninsulas of Newfoundland, we passed a lot of tempting trout and salmon rivers. Eventually we would meet Atlantic Dave, a white-haired boat tour captain and a former teacher now living in Terwillengate, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Atlantic Ocean, birding, boating, culture, eagles, family, fishing, guiding, nature, Newfoundland, travel | 14 Comments

Newfoundland, Part 2

Posted on July 20, 2022 by rivertoprambles

The Tablelands at Gros Morne National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), north of Corner Brook (see map), are dry red-rock formations uplifted from the Earth’s mantle. The natural mineral, periditite, is poisonous for most vegetation, with a few exceptions. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birding, boating, camping, fishing, Gros Morne NP, hiking, nature, Newfoundland, photograpy, Pissing Mare Falls, Tablelands, travel, writing | 15 Comments

Newfoundland, Part 1

Posted on July 17, 2022 by rivertoprambles

The long drive north from Rhode Island to the Nova Scotia ferry crossing was a difficult journey for a guy with upcoming back surgery, but the overall trip was wonderful. With my wife and my daughter catching up on sleep … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birding, Canada, dining, fishing, Gros Morne N.P., hiking, nature, Newfoundland, puffins, Tablelands, travel | 27 Comments

Photos, Art and Nature

Posted on June 11, 2022 by rivertoprambles

Few words today, as I reflect on the activities of the past few weeks and look forward to my rapidly approaching trip to Newfoundland. With luck, I may have some interesting reflections to share with you from that Atlantic province … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged art, birds, birdwatching, folk art, nature, photos, Pittsburgh, transitions, travel, trout | 20 Comments