Clams beckon Valley residents

Clamming is still something Alaskans dig

EOWYN LeMAY IVEY-Frontiersman reporter

The sun is high and the tide is low. A smooth, sandy beach stretches in either direction. And then a dimple appears, and the hunt is on.

Clamming is like most other outdoor endeavors in Alaska -- it's hard, fulfilling work that leaves you tired and satisfied. Each summer, Valley residents migrate south to the beaches of Cook Inlet in search of meat for their chowders and clam fries. There are families with small children, who spend more time building sand castles than digging, and there are serious clam hunters wearing rubber knee-boots who don't stop digging until their buckets are heavy with their 60-razor-clam bag limit.

For decades, Valley resident Paul Barry has been among those clam diggers.

"It goes way back," Barry said. In 1951, the year he graduated from high school, Barry and two friends camped at Clam Gulch for the first time and hauled in the clams. Since then, it has become somewhat of a tradition, one that he now shares with his wife.

"It's just getting out," Barry said. "Like hunting or any other thing like that, it's providing that is really the element that makes it worth while -- providing for the family."

Barry said each summer they typically go to Clam Gulch equipped with a six-wheeler and some shovels. They drive several miles down the beach, to get away from the crowds, and then get to work.

"Actually clamming is very hard. It's hard on the back, and you have a limited time to get those clams before the tides come back," Barry said.

Clamming is reserved for unique windows of time when the tides are at their lowest, preferably minus 2 feet or lower. Tide books, available at most local fishing license vendors, can help people plan their trip timing to take the most advantage of these tides.

In addition to a tide book, clammers 16 years or older need to have current fishing licenses on hand, as well as a shellfish permit if they plan to head to the gravel beaches of Kachemak Bay for littleneck or butter clams. Harvesting razor clams doesn't require any special permits.

And for the most part, digging clams doesn't require any special tools. A bucket, a shovel and some good gloves are helpful. Some people use "clam guns," tube-like tools that suck the clams out of the sand. But like many long-time Alaskans, Barry still swears by a sturdy shovel. He watches for the dimple in the sand indicating a clam is nearby and then starts digging.

"There's an art to it, and I don't say I fully understand it," Barry said. "You shovel right next to it and you will see where the clam is."

Harvesting littleneck or butter clams is a somewhat different skill. These shellfish can be found on the gravel beaches around Kachemak Bay near Homer and are harvested by raking away the gravel or mud. There are no dimples in the sand to give these guys away, but they will sometimes make their whereabouts known when they squirt into the air.

"It looks like a sprinkler system," said Nicky Szarzi, area biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game office in Homer.

In many ways, Szarzi said, digging these clams is easier. Razor clams can flee a shovel quickly by digging into the sand. Littleneck and butter clams are slower moving and sometimes can be found by just rolling over a big boulder or digging just a foot or so into the gravel. Szarzi reminds clammers to put the sand and gravel back where they found it, however, to make sure they don't disturb the many other kinds of critters that live on the beaches.

With littlenecks and butter clams, people do have to measure them to make sure they're big enough to legally keep. For those who are so inclined, they can harvest as many as 700 butter clams or 1,000 littlenecks a day.

With razor clams, which are more fragile and apt to be damaged during the digging, clammers must keep all they dig regardless of the size.

As most moose hunters and salmon anglers can tell you, the work begins once the fun is over. So it is with clams of all types and sizes. Once you leave the beach, the clam meat needs to be cleaned and stored. Barry said he cleans his razor clams at the state campground near the beach, where there is running water available. Back home, he and his wife split the harvest 50-50 between freezing and canning. Canned clams are perfect for chowders. The others, frozen in their own juices in Ziploc bags, can keep well for the winter so that they can be enjoyed throughout the year.

The Barrys haven't yet been able to get down to Clam Gulch this year to stock up their freezer and pantry.

"But we've got some low tides coming up later this month -- minus four tides," he said. It seems the clams are once again calling.

PSP -- What you should know before you go clamming

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, or PSP, is a serious illness caused by concentrated poisons in clams, mussels, oysters, snails or scallops. It's caused by tiny microorganisms called dinoflagellates. Some species, such as butter clams, store the toxins in their siphons for up to two years. Razor clams, on the other hand, do not accumulate the toxins as readily as hardshell clams.

The symptoms of PSP come on quite rapidly, within minutes or hours of consumption. Usually there is a tingling or burning sensation of the lips, gums or tongue. Depending on the amount of toxin consumed, these sensations can spread to the face, neck, fingers and toes. While it seldom occurs, death can result from respiratory paralysis within 12 hours.

If people think they might have PSP, they should induce vomiting and seek medical attention immediately.

There is no known antidote for the toxin, so the best way to avoid the problem is to avoid the toxin altogether. For clammers, however, there are no guarantees. Laboratory analysis is time consuming and costly. The state does certify some Kachemak Bay-area beaches for hardshell clams such as littleneck or butter. Razor clam beaches are not officially certified, but according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game there has never been a reported case of PSP from razor clams taken from the east-side beaches of Cook Inlet.

There are currently no PSP alerts in Alaska, but there have been in recent years. People can visit the Department to Environmental Conservation Web site at www.state.ak.us/dec or call a local Fish and Game office for PSP updates.

Information courtesy the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Fish and Game.