Tammy Schultheis coats fish in beer batter at the St. Conrad Roman Catholic Church fish fry on Friday afternoon. Shane Potter/Butler Eagle

Fish fry season began in Butler County on Feb. 24 — but not without a few catches.

Sellers of the Lenten favorite had to contend with, in some cases, unexpectedly high demand.

Jo Ann Watterson, in charge of the Friday fish dinners at the American Legion Post 778, 150 Legion Memorial Drive, Lyndora, said the first fish fry Feb. 24 was over within 40 minutes of its 4 p.m. start time when demand wiped out her food supplies.

“I think it was because people were staying to eat. We had to put more tables up,” she said, adding she had 250 customers within a half hour.

“People want to eat in again, plus our price for a meal is $13 when most places are charging $15 or $16,” Watterson said.

She said she’s already ordered more fish and everything else from her food wholesaler for next Friday.