Belly Up Firing weapons and frying smelt

If nailing a bull’s-eye with a compound bow then loading up on a hearty smelt dinner appeals, there’s only one place to be this Saturday, March 19: The 36th Annual Smelt Fry at North Bristol Sportsman’s Club (7229 N. Greenway Road, Sun Prairie, 608-837-6048). The club will open at 4 p.m., perhaps to allow for some quick target practice—but probably just to get in some drinking—before the fish fry, which begins at 5 p.m. Fried fish at a shooting range’s club house isn’t so odd, really, when one considers Wisconsin’s rich cultural heritage of hunting, fishing, and eating the results. The preparation of crispy fried smelt will follow Wisco tradition: It starts with netting the salmon-like fish, cleaning them, and tossing the filets into flour seasoned with garlic, salt, and pepper. Then the breaded smelt is dropped into boiling oil and fried until the surface is a crispy golden brown. North Bristol is serving cheesy hash browns on the side for even more fried starchy goodness.

FATSOMETER: 8. The Sportsman’s Club boasts an archery range, a skeet range, five voice-activated trap houses, and a 50-meter pistol range. The adrenaline of prowling through a 3D walking course for bow hunters should get stomachs growling, and then it’s all about giant plates of smelt with plenty of beer to wash it down.