The California Grunion Fry Part 2
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
WPA writer Charles J. Sullivan who described a California “Grunion Fry.” Today we turn to a description of those participated in this annual event and the rules. It is a Motley gathering of determined souls who find their way to the scene of these grunion hunts, and they arrive in various stages of dress . . . Some come in common beach pajamas or shorts, many in gay swimsuits, while others, drawn by idle curiosity, incongruously appear in their spotless evening clothes. Seen in the half-light of moon and stars gathered around their Driftwood fires, operating the shadowy sands like sentinels on watch against an invading host—here is a strange carnival of sport. When the grunion are running, they come to sure to lay their eggs; that's when people gather them and we they can to deep fry and eating on the beach. . . . The law now reads, that grunion must be caught with the bare hands. Therefore, the catch calls for a certain amount of nimbleness and skill, for the tiny fish are slippery; although thousands of the grunions are caught, many more thousands escape to find a way back into the briny deep.
