Smelt Fishing in America

Well, smelt fishing in Chicago at least, thank you very much Richard Brautigan. Actually, smelt fishing in Rogers Park to be exact. We lived in Chicago for about seven years or so, leaving in 1994. We were in Rogers Park that whole time....perched happily on the fourth floor of 1201 West Chase, north of Touhy, east of Sheridan Road, plopped right on the lakefront. If you look at this picture of Ernie skipping a rock (he says the thought of doing that again still scares him....shoulder is healing SLOWLY...stupid car accident), look above his right arm---our apartment was the one with the balcony on the top floor. We looked south over the beach and could see the concrete piers extending into the lake all the way down to Loyola. In late March/early April it was smelt season and groups would set up camp along those piers at night, with little fires burning, and fish for smelt all night long. It was that time of year when the air was often wet and hazy and the image of those flickering fires down the lakefront is one that has stuck in my mind all these years. I tried to find a picture online that captured but I guess it's best left to my memory.

We never fished for them ourselves and I don't believe I've even ever had them, but when I saw them on the Cheese and Crackers list this week for only $6.99 a pound I felt obligated to get some. For some unknown reason I bought two pounds so I still have a boatload of them even after our inaugural smelt night last night. I ended up just making a simple beer batter---a can of beer and a cup and a half of flour, some salt, pepper and garlic powder. I'd probably increase the seasoning a bit next time. We just battered them and threw them in some peanut oil that was theoretically kept at 375. I don't deep fry often enough to be skilled at keeping the temperature even but they turned out pretty well. We just sprinkled some salt on top and a squeeze of lemon. We made a quick dipping sauce of mayonnaise, chopped capers and smoked paprika and served it with salad greens (supposed to be coleslaw but got lazy) and potato chips because Ernie has been craving wavy potato chips. Not the healthiest meal of course but it was damn fun. The boys, uh, chose not to partake in the smelt. Their loss, their loss....