"Razor Clamming" - Life on the Kitsap Peninsula

Another of my favorite leisure pastimes here in scenic Washington State is razor clamming out on the coast (Razor Clamming in WA).

On several select weekends of the year (normally late Fall through early Spring) the Washington Department of Fish and Game opens various coastal beaches for people to chase the illusive razor clam (WA Dept. of Fish & Game).

Now let me tell you right up front, this is hard work. These suckers head south fast, but the rewards of catching them are well worth it! The State normally opens the beaches 4 to 5 times a year, typically scheduling the digs to start on a Friday, and going through Sunday. The specific times allowed for digging usually coincides with low or minus (extra low) tides.

It's a good 3-hour drive from the Kitsap Peninsula to the coastline beaches. We prefer those areas where you are allowed to drive up right onto the beach. You can park your car or truck and walk just a short distance out the where they're digging (Coastal Beaches).

The purists use clam shovels which require a very specific way to extract the clams. I myself prefer the handy "clam gun." As you're walking along the beach, close to the point where the water comes up, you take a walking stick or shovel handle and pound the sand. You will notice a small round hole opens up. This is what is called a "show." It indicates where the clam is. With clam guns, you simply center the wide barrel of the clam gun over the show, and shove it downward quickly. Once the barrel is covered in sand, you plug the suction hole on the handle, and pull up. Once the gun is completely out of the sand, uncover the suction hole, and the sand will begin to fall out of the barrel, hopefully revealing your prized catch! (How to dig razor clams)

You are currently allowed 15 clams per licensed persons. It usually takes us a good hour or two to get everyone's limit. By that time, we're pretty pooped anyway.

Cleaning your razor clams is another very involved process. Bu trust me, when everything is said and done, there are few things more delicious than eating fried razor clams! After they're cleaned, we dip ours in flour, then beaten egg, then Ritz cracker crumbs. You leave them out for an hour or so before cooking. Then fry them up, cooking them on both sides until brown. I especially enjoy razor clams in the morning, reheated with scrambled eggs. Yum!

Just another one of the fun and different leisure pastimes available here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest!

Rich Jacobson, www.KitsapLife.com