After the January storms provided the flushing and scouring our coastal rivers desperately needed, anglers were thinking and hoping the winter steelhead would be there. Up and down the coast, well known steelhead rivers are not seeing the numbers we're accustomed to. This same scenario happened a couple years ago, but the fish finally showed up. And that will more than likely be the case again this year. But with the calendar now saying February, it's getting a little more nerve racking.

The algae on North Pond began blooming about two weeks ago during a patch of hot weather, making the pond resemble a bowl of pea soup, according to Danielle Wain, lake science director for 7 Lakes Alliance, which works to preserve land and water in the Belgrade Lakes region.