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!

A Few Words From the Photos

Posted on May 24, 2017

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged azalea, brook trout, eagles, environment, fly-fishing, headwaters, Kettle Creek, local life, moccasin flower, nature wildflowers, outdoors, Pennsylvania, photography, rainbow trout, upstate New York | 20 Comments

Staircase Run

Posted on May 16, 2017

The day surely started out on a bright note– a little birding in the early morning sunshine of the yard, my small binoculars picking up a bit of the warblers waving through– Blackburnian, black-throated green, ovenbird, Louisiana water-thrush and, later, the black-throated blue warbler– … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birding, Cedar Run, environment, fishing, fly-fishing, headwaters, hiking, nature, Pennsylvania, ravines, Slate Run, small streams, staircase, trout, wild, world view | 18 Comments

Muddler

Posted on May 12, 2017

We’ve had a lot of rain and cool air of late, and Saturday’s tree-planting event was right in the thick of it. Nonetheless, the Upper Genesee Chapter of Trout Unlimited managed to plant more than a thousand small trees … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged environment, fly-fishing, Genesee River, headwaters, muddler, Muddler Minnow, nature, Nipigon River, photography, Time, tree planting, Trout Unlimited, white pines, willows, writing | 18 Comments

Brief

Posted on May 3, 2017

When the human world seems absolutely maddening (the insanity triggered by such trifles as fidget spinners with kids, the rush for smartphone upgrades in adults, and the latest threats to the economy, environment and world peace from the fools who guide our destiny), I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged backyard, beauty, brevity, brief, brook trout, environment, fly-fishing, humanity, morels, nature, photos, red fox, sanity, small streams, Spring, work | 23 Comments

24/365

Posted on April 24, 2017

The old cliché says “Earth Day everyday,” but in a sense it might be true. I’m old enough to remember the original Earth Day celebrations on campus, and the week in April 1992 when I gave four public poetry readings centered … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged catch-and-release, Earth, Earth Day, environment, fly-fishing, Genesee River, lifestyle, outdoors, photographs, rite of spring, small streams, stream projects, tree planting, Trout Unlimited, woodcock, writing | 18 Comments

Grass and Glass (BRB, Part 3)

Posted on April 18, 2017

Intending to spend the whole day fishing the Rapidan River inside Shenandoah National Park, I fished it and even took a pleasant side excursion on a brook trout tributary. White trilliums were the flower of the day, nodding their invitations to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bamboo fly rods, Blue Ridge, brook trout, environment, fiberglass rods, fly-fishing, hiking, mountains, nature, photography, rivers, Shenandoah Nat'l Park, small streams, Spring, travel, Virginia, waterfalls, wildflowers, writing | 16 Comments

Blue Ridge Buffer (Pt. 2), No Plan B

Posted on April 14, 2017

1. I love Monday mornings in the Blue Ridge, especially before the hikers, dogs and fishermen start to activate the paths inside Shenandoah National Park. The sun is out; the temperatures are headed for the 70s; Louisiana water-thrushes are at song; the violets and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Blue Ridge Mountains, brook trout, fishing, hiking, North Fork Moormans, photos, Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive, travel, Virginia | 26 Comments

Blue Ridge Buffer, Part 1

Posted on April 8, 2017

[All photos in Part 1 are recent takes from a grey and partly frozen landscape in the north country. Rainbow trout from Allegheny River. Stay tuned for brighter and more southerly perspectives as this series progresses.] As the new fishing … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Blue Ridge, buffer zone, civilization, family, fly-fishing, hiking, migration, photography, place, Shenandoah National Park, Spring, travel, upstate New York, Virginia, wilderness | 18 Comments

So, How Was the Fishing?

Posted on March 30, 2017

1. Sometimes when there’s nothing new to say or to add to the overall blogging compost, I like to hear that ageless question directed at a rambler on the trail or in the water: “So how was the fishing?” Hearing it, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged brook trout, Cattaraugus creek tribs, environment, etiquette, fishing taverns, fly-fishing, forest, friendship, nothing to say, Pennsylvania Wilds, philosophy, photos, small stream fishing, steelhead, stonefly, western New York, wild, Zoar Valley | 20 Comments

The Don’t Hurry Isle

Posted on March 14, 2017

I’m pretending that I’m there right now. With a cup of morning coffee at my side, with brain and keyboard fingers operating with reptilian slowness, I imagine just relaxing on a tiny tropical island. What does it matter that a classic Nor’easter whitens … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Caribbean Scrambles, Don't Hurry, imagination, Innisfree, islands, Nor'easter, peace, photography, poetry, St. Pat's, travel, Virgin Islands, W. B. Yeats, writing | 12 Comments