Fried sardines are an Italian thing but unfortunately the Pacific sardines are in one of their periodic downswings. However, smelt make a pretty good substitute and they're abundant. Too small to spear, of course. This is dip net catching. However, I read about this technique and decided to give it a try. Gut the fish and run the cut all the way to the tail and then spread the fish wide. Cut the head from the flesh but leave it attached to the spine. Hold down the fish with the point of the knife and pull up on the head. The entire spine and ribs easily lifts from the body leaving you a perfectly butterflied, boneless pair of filets. Because fish are so small, a simple dredge in flavored flour readies them for a fry of no more than about 90 seconds. Lay the fried mortal on a slice of toasted, buttered (or aioli-ed) baguette, cover with a few slices of fresh avocado and serve with a squeeze of lime. Hot damn!