Anglers swap fish stories at ‘Hard Water Classic’

Ah, there’s nothing like a warm summer morning to drop your line into a calm lake, sit back and wait for a fish that’s thisbig to snatch your bait.

That may be your idea of fishing, but for more than 100 hardy folks who trudged onto 62-acre Silver Lake Saturday afternoon at Blackwell Forest Preserve near Warrenville, it’s every bit as much fun to bundle up against the cold, drill a hole in the ice and see what you can catch.

Called the Hard Water Classic, the ice-fishing tournament was sponsored by the DuPage County Forest Preserve District and was open to anglers of all ages.

“There’s a lot of nice prizes here,” said Andrew Green. “It’s going to be a fun event.”

Prizes were awarded for the three largest largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie, with a gas-powered auger awarded for the largest overall fish caught at the tourney.

Proceeds from the event — the registration fee was $15 — will support district programs that provide outdoor experiences for special-needs groups, Scouts and community resource centers in DuPage County.