Tag Archives: Walt Franklin

It’s Here! Learning the Terrain

Posted on February 18, 2022 by rivertoprambles

I’m excited to relay the news that my new book, Learning the Terrain, has been published by Wood Thrush Books in Swanton, Vermont. The book is now available from Wood Thrush, as well as from Amazon (Kindle or paperback) and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged coastal fishing, ecology, flora and fauna, fly fishing, Learning the Terrain, memoir, Nature writing, poetry, prose, Walt Franklin, Wood Thrush Books, writing | 24 Comments

The Return of Old Woodenhead

Posted on December 21, 2021 by rivertoprambles

[In which we hear an echo from an earlier post or two at Rivertop Rambles, now an excerpt from my book Wings Over Water (available from Amazon, Wood Thrush Books, or myself). That said, Old Woodenhead, my Christmas confidante or … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged beer & bourbon, Christmas, David Castano, fly-fishing, Kettle Creek Tackle Shop, Old Woodenhead, sculpting, Walt Franklin, Wings Over Water, Winter Solstice, writing | 13 Comments

Upstate Brown and Salmon Time

Posted on November 11, 2020 by rivertoprambles

The tumultuous U.S. election events have finally been resolved, or have they? This is not the time or place for lingering on politics but I’ll say that, over all, I was pleased with the results while acknowledging that there are … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beautiful Like a Mayfly, brown trout, Cayuga Lake, Fall Creek, fishing, friendship, landlocked, nature, November, politics, salmon, spawn, Walt Franklin, writing | 8 Comments

Transitions

Posted on July 17, 2020 by rivertoprambles

Anticipating an August road trip out West, I recalled several earlier trips taken with my wife and kids– one trip just two years ago, and others, oh, way back… Perhaps the highlight of one westward transition occurred as we stopped … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ecology, exploring, family, Firehole, fishing, Gardner River, Greys River, nature, road trips, Sand & Sage, transitions, travel, Walt Franklin, writing, Yellowstone | 18 Comments

Reflections on a Gentle Art

Posted on June 19, 2020 by rivertoprambles

The Genesee River near Shongo, New York was flowing weakly and with water almost too warm for trout survival. I found a stretch of river cool enough for an evening of fly fishing and began hooking and releasing hatchery … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged art, Catskill rivers, Catskills, Crete, dry flies, fly-fishing, Genesee, Greece, Minoan, nature, reading, trout rivers, Walt Franklin, writing | 16 Comments

The Far and Fine, from Home

Posted on March 25, 2020 by rivertoprambles

1. The sun on rusted rails extending through a chain of ponds. Sun that softens the edge of ice; walkin’ blues colored by a smile. Sun reflecting from an eagle; thermals of the western ridge. The sun on a leaning … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birds, deep woods, haiku, home, narrative, nature, pandemic, poetry, Spring, Walt Franklin, Wings Over Water, writing | 18 Comments

An Excuse To Be…

Posted on March 6, 2020 by rivertoprambles

The arrival of March is always an exciting time for me, no matter what the weather’s like. It can be cold and snowy, wet and windy, or warm enough by day to get the sap flowing skyward through the maple … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birdwatching, flyfishing, nature, Nature writing, non-fiction, personal essays, poetry, Spring, Walt Franklin, Wings Over Water | 10 Comments

Taking Flight

Posted on February 25, 2020 by rivertoprambles

Many of you who have followed this blog for a while understand that I seldom honk my horn, attempting to promote the books I write. Occasionally, though, a new work is issued and I’m justly proud to release it like … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged "Rivertop Rambles", birds, books, ecology, fly-fishing, natural history, nature, poetry, small press, Walt Franklin, Wings Over Water, Wood Thrush Books, writing | 12 Comments

Where the Owl Lives

Posted on February 6, 2020 by rivertoprambles

The gentle snowstorm slowed my uphill walk. The wet, accumulating snow felt cool but comfortable. The whiteness was a blanket for a dark interior, a surface for the place where the owl lived high on Dryden Hill. The snow accentuated … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birds, environment, hiking, hill country, nature, owls, poetry, power, preservation, prose narrative, snow, trees, Walt Franklin, writing | 16 Comments

Reaching Out

Posted on January 3, 2020 by rivertoprambles

1. In spring the surface of an orchard pond is broken into circles as the trout begin to feed. It’s like a fantasy gifted by the kingbird in its flight– away to the pear tree’s pearly blossoms. In summer the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged conservation, ecology, natural energy, nature, New Year, poetry, reaching out, red fox, seasons, spirits of place, Walt Franklin, white ash, writing | 21 Comments