OCEAN SHORES, Wash. — It's a hunt that brings thousands of people to the Washington Coast.
“More people participate in razor clamming than any other fishery in the state. It brings out the largest crowds and the widest age group of people to dig,” said Bryce Blumenthal, a coastal shellfish biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Jose Cedeno is a rookie razor clam digger, but today he’s got a secret weapon. He’s getting a digging lesson from Blumenthal, who’s a razor clam specialist. But first, some rules:
"Fifteen clams per person is the limit. Everyone who's participating needs to have a license unless they're 14 years or younger. Children are able to participate without having a license, and you're required to keep the first 15 clams you dig regardless of size or condition,” said Blumenthal. That means if you crush ‘em, you keep em, so dig carefully. Also, each digger must carry their own container for clams, usually a bucket or a mesh net.
You can only find clams at low or negative tides during sanctioned digs (check the WDFW webpage for dig dates), and during this low tide Copalis Beach was covered in brown foam. Believe it or not – this muddy looking goo is good, a type of plankton.
“It's what the razor clams eat. It looks pretty nasty, usually when you see this it means the razor clams are feeding, so hopefully they will be up here pretty close to the surface,” Blumenthal said.
Jose learns to look for clam ‘shows’ – a donut shape in the sand, about the size of a quarter, and easily digs his first clam using a ‘clam gun’ – a tube that diggers slide into the sand over the clam show, suctioning out the sand and the clam along with it.
Blumenthal’s preferred method is a shovel, he makes it look easy, but it’s not. Jose took a couple of waves while trying to get clams using the shovel.
Two things are guaranteed when you go razor clam digging:
You'll get wet. And you'll make friends. In fact, Blumenthal says making friends is the key to learning to dig. Spot someone with a lot of clams and watch what they do.
"It's really a friendly fishery. People are always willing and able to show someone what they're digging on and what the what the shows look like.” Blumenthal said.
12-year-old digger Paolo Pasion gave Jose some solid clamming philosophy: “You usually have to dig deep and suction them out, sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t.”
“It's the easiest fishery we have, it's the one that has the least barriers to entry,” said Blumenthal, adding that he when he patrols he sees folks using walkers, parents with toddlers, and all ages and abilities of people on the beach during a dig.
Thanks to some expert tips and some new friends, Jose got enough clams for a meal. He also enjoyed a perfect day on the Washington Coast. Even if he got a little wet.
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