Go
Clamming...
Clamming on the beach is a great
all day fun adventure for
families!
CLICK HERE FOR 2007 TIDE TABLES
The
secret to successful fishing or
clamming on the Kenai Peninsula is
based on the tide movements of
Cook Inlet and we can book
services according to your
recreational needs. We are
dedicated to making your stay
with us a memorable one. We book
only friendly, reputable, and
environmentally conscious fishing
guides and sightseeing services.
Guides offer a wide variety of
custom packages, so sit back and
enjoy. They will furnish all
necessary equipment, care for your
catch, and even supply meals. We
can reserve a Brown Bear viewing
fly in trip across cook inlet for
you, sure to be the highlight of
your trip or a wild life cruise
out of Seward, a memory you will
always treasure.
Learn more...
RAZOR CLAMS
Introduction
Razor clam digging on the Kenai
Peninsula is one of Alaska's
most popular outdoor activities.
It is primarily a family sport
which is enjoyed by people of
all ages. It is also relatively
inexpensive;
requiring only
adequate boots and clothing, a
clam shovel or tube, bucket and
a current sport fishing license
for those 16 years of age or
older. Over 1.2 million clams
are dug each year from the
beaches along Cook Inlet.
When digging clams in Alaska,
even during the summer months,
sudden changes in the weather
are to be expected. The diggers
should realize that the weather
on the beach can change quickly
and digging clams is a messy
business. Knee-high rubber boots
are quite suitable for walking
the beaches but hip boots are
much drier when kneeling down on
the beach sand to retrieve your
bounty. The wind may frequently
die down during slack tide but
may pick back up as the tide
begins to rise again so a
raincoat is desirable as an
effective wind break.
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Where to Dig
Razor clams on the Kenai
Peninsula are found on most
sandy beaches between the
Kasilof River to the north and
the Anchor River to the south.
Total distance between these two
rivers is approximately 50
miles. This 50 mile area can be
further divided into a northern
beach area (Cohoe, Clam Gulch,
Oil Pad Access) and a southern
beach area comprised of the
beaches around Ninilchik, Deep
Creek, Happy Valley and Whiskey
Gulch.
The most popular area on the
northern beaches is Clam Gulch,
located 22 miles south of
Soldotna at Mile Post 117.5 of
the Sterling Highway. Just Six
miles from Kasilof RV Park. This
area is popular with families
having young children, as access
to the beach is relatively easy
via road.
Diggers with 4-wheel or other
all terrain vehicles can reach
both the beaches of Cohoe (turn
right on entering the beach) or
Oil Pad Access (turn left on
entering the beach). Good clam
digging is available in either
direction, with clams becoming
progressively larger to the
south.
Vehicles are permitted on all
areas of the beach. However, the
experienced digger knows his
personal limitations and the
limitations of his vehicle. Two
wheel drive vehicles cannot be
safely run on Kenai Peninsula
beaches. Sooner or later they’re
going to get stuck. The
consequences of being unable to
dislodge a stuck vehicle are
obvious--the vehicle could
easily be a total loss if it’s
inundated by the tide.
All terrain vehicles or those
equipped with 4-wheel drive
generally do not encounter
problems. However, these
vehicles should be kept as high
on the beach as possible. The
lower beach areas, especially
around the larger rocks contain
pockets or areas of glacial
silt, i.e., MUD. These areas can
stop the best of vehicles.
Remember, include a good measure
of “common sense” in addition to
your standard clam digging
equipment when you take your
vehicle on the beach.
The southern beaches are
separated from the Sterling
Highway by large bluffs,
limiting access to the beach.
These beaches also have a
steeper gradient than do the
northern beaches. This limits
the time the clams are available
to the digger.
The beaches at Whiskey Gulch are
exceptionally steep and a
minimum of a -4.0 tide is
recommended here. The access
road is not maintained to this
area and caution is advised.
Good public access at Mile Post
137.2 is available at Deep Creek
with the best digging beginning
about a mile south of the stream
and continuing south to the
Happy Valley area. Good digging
may also be found north of the
Ninilchik River. Enter the
Ninilchik Village Access Road at
Mile Post 135.0. Proceed through
Ninilchik Village, parallel the
small boat harbor, and exit the
road onto the beach. A 4-wheel
drive vehicle will reduce the
amount of walking time here.
The only offshore sandbar of
significance to clam diggers is
located between Deep Creek and
Ninilchik. The bar is exposed
during low tides and diggers can
walk to the area on the lower
tides. This area supports a good
population of clams. Remember
that as the tide goes out to
expose the bar, it will again
come in to cover the area. Watch
closely for the tide to turn and
begin to come in. If you don’t
have a boat, do not delay your
departure or you could be
stranded.
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When To Dig
Razor Clams may be legally dug
throughout the year. Most
digging, however, occurs from
April through September. The
"table quality" of the clam is
generally considered best in
early summer, just prior to the
July-August spawning.
On the northern beaches of Cohoe,
Clam Gulch and Oil Pad Access,
razor clam beds are exposed on
any minus tide. Tides of -2.0
feet or lower are, however,
suggested for best results.
Tides must be progressively
lower on the more southern
beaches because of the steeper
gradient. Tides should be -3.0
feet or lower in the Ninilchik
and Deep Creek areas with -4.0
feet or lower recommended for
Whiskey Gulch area.
Where is that clam?
To determine when minus tides
occur and how low they will be,
it is necessary to consult a
local tide book. These are
available from many merchants
throughout the Peninsula. Since
low tides arrive at different
times in different areas and it
is impossible to furnish a tide
chart for every possible
location, only a few major areas
are included. Corrections for
the time and height of tides
must be made for all other
locations.
Beaches on the western Kenai
Peninsula are indexed from the
Seldovia tide chart. In the back
of the tide book, a series of
corrections is presented for
various locations. Correction
for time and tide levels at
various beaches can be estimated
by relating their location to
the sites which are listed in
the Seldovia Correction Table
found in the Tide Table Book.
The best digging is generally an
hour before to two hours after
low tide.
You can find a listing of
suitable clam tides in the Clam
Tide Tables listed in the Alaska
Outdoor Journal.
---------------------------------------------------------------
How To Dig
Razor clams are found by the
imprint left on the sand surface
as the clam's neck is withdrawn.
When a "show" or "dimple" is
found, a scoop or two of sand is
dug away beside the dimple and
the clam is located by reaching
into the sand in the side of the
hole. Be careful not to dig too
close to the dimple or the clam
will be damaged.
Almost all clams with broken
shells will die; therefore
diggers are required to retain
all clams regardless of size.
The current limit for clams dug
along the western beaches of the
Kenai Peninsula is the first 60
clams dug, regardless of size or
condition. Clams with broken
shells are slightly harder to
clean, but their eating quality
is not impaired.
Most clams are dug with special
narrow bladed clam shovels.
These shovels are available in
most Alaskan hardware and
sporting goods stores. Clams can
also be dug with a clam "gun" or
"tube." The "gun" is simply a
pipe or tube of about four-inch
diameter with a handle and a
small air vent at the closed
upper end. Digging is done by
pushing the tube down over the
clam dimple with a rocking
motion. The air vent is then
blocked with a finger or thumb
and the core of sand, with the
clam enclosed, is pulled up and
dropped on the beach. Guns do
not work well on beaches
containing significant amounts
of gravel or rock.
The digger should also be aware
that this species has acquired
its common name for a very good
reason. Hasty or improper
digging techniques often crush
the clam shell. A careless
digger reaching into the sand
may realize a cut finger in
short order as hands and fingers
may become somewhat numb from
the cold water and one does not
have the sensitivity to feel the
sharp shell.
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Cleaning Razor Clams
If time permits, soaking your
clams in a bucket of clean sea
water for a few hours will allow
the clam to purge most or all of
the sand present within its neck
and gills. The bucket should be
left undisturbed during this
period as agitation will keep
the clam withdrawn into its
shell.
Cleaning the clams
The clam body may be removed
from the shell by running a
knife blade along the inner
shell surface and cutting the
muscle connecting body to shell.
The subsequent cleaning is done
to remove the gills and
digestive tract, which are the
dark parts of the clam. The tip
of the neck should also be
removed and both canals of the
neck should be opened to
facilitate the removal of sand.
Scissors with pointed blades
work well in cleaning razor
clams.
Click here if you want to read
more about clamming.
We found this article from the
State of Alaska web site both
informative and interesting.
Our
related sites page with take
you to this and other web sites
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