Colby Lions to host 60th annual smelt feed April 24
The Colby Lions Club will host its annual smelt fry Wednesday, April 24 at the Colby Lions Shelter, serving from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event marks the 60th year of the smelt fry, which was held for the first time in March of 1964.
It was an ambitious project for the members to undertake, as the Colby Lions received their charter about one year earlier, on March 9, 1963.
It takes many hands for the smelt fry to be a success. The Colby Lions Club has partnered with many community groups over the past 60 years to serve the tasty morsels, which are complimented by homemade potato salad, cole slaw, bread and a full dessert bar. Water and coffee are included in the price of each dinner. Soda and beer are available for sale. Sit down dining and drive through service are offered.
The delicious smelt are cleaned by hand and dunked in an exceptional batter mix that has been perfected over time. The unique cookers and other processing equipment were built by club members and have been used since the early days of the smelt fry.
According to club records, an average crowd of 1,026 has been served at each smelt fry over the past 25 years. The event is has been held on the fourth Wednesday of April for the past 30 years. Proceeds from the smelt fry benefit a number of community organizations and support functions of the Wisconsin Lions Camp.
In the early days, determined Colby Lions Club members trekked to Lake Superior to net smelt. Over time, the catch became unreliable and smelt were obtained from commercial fishermen. Because smelt have become so scarce and perhaps unavailable by a certain date, Smith Brothers of Colby now procures the smelt for the event.
Early Colby Lions Club movers and shakers who started the smelt fry included George Hannar, Fred Caskey, Ralph Jannene, Dave Treutel and Tom Langham.
SMELT ON THE MENU - The Colby Lions Shelter is expected to be packed with those wanting to enjoy the scrumptious fish. Look for the sign on Hwy. 13 on April 24.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
