Ken Klubek, left, and Josh Laedke, center, of the DEC’s Adirondack fish hatchery in Lake Clear hold a splake and a rainbow trout that are tagged for the upcoming Colby Classic ice fishing tournament, represented by Matt Glaude of the Saranac Lake Fish and Game Club. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

Ken Klubek, left, and Josh Laedke, center, of the DEC’s Adirondack fish hatchery in Lake Clear hold a splake and a rainbow trout that are tagged for the upcoming Colby Classic ice fishing tournament, represented by Matt Glaude of the Saranac Lake Fish and Game Club.
(Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

SARANAC LAKE — The 35th annual Colby Classic ice fishing tournament will take place next weekend, and on Friday 15 fish with tags were released into Lake Colby.

The tagged fish — splake and rainbow trout — were raised by the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Chateaugay hatchery, but were released by staff from the DEC hatchery in Lake Clear. The tagged fish, if caught during the two day tournament, carry a prize of $100 each.

Matt Glaude, who is on the board of the Saranac Lake Fish and Game Club, said the tournament is meant to provide winter relief, much in the same way Winter Carnival does.

“We try to keep it after Winter Carnival, so we can continue the celebration of winter; to keep people engaged and involved,” Glaude said.

Glaude said the tagged fish can also earn anglers money no matter when they may be caught, and if one is netted outside of the tournament, the game club will still give a small cash prize. Prizes for the tournament include cash, a hand auger, an insulated ice fishing shanty and a grand prize of a guided river fishing trip on the Salmon River.

There are three categories for youth and adults: perch, salmon and trout, and pike.

The tournament takes place Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3. For adults, the cost is $7 per day or $10 for the weekend. Youth registration costs $3 for the day or $5 for both days.

So far this year, Adirondack Health sponsored three of the tagged fish, along with Wayne Darrah Auto, Home Energy and Say Real Estate and Rentals. Robert Brown, Robert Martin, Evan Durfee, Dick Mose and Walt Farmer and Billy Vaughn have each sponsored a tagged fish as well.

Glaude said the club doesn’t make much money from the tournament, but what it does take in is spent on youth hunting and fishing activities in the community. Anglers can pre-register at Blue Line Sports or Woods and Waters in Saranac Lake, or register on the days of the tournament at the Lake Colby beach house.