Digging clams is a popular pastime around the world. In Canada clams may be harvested all year round, though shellfish closures may be enforced in particular areas at particular times due to changes in water toxicity and the spread of pollutants.
Recreational clam digging is done by digging or picking them out of their habitats by hand. When clams are relatively close to the surface they are often retrieved with a long-tined rake. When they are positioned further below the surface they can be dug out with a short garden-type fork or "clam hack." Razor clams may be dug with a short-handled, thin-bladed shovel. Commercial clam harvesting is typically done out in the waters off the coast using mechanical rakes.
Clam Digging Instructions
- Go treading for clams. This very old school method requires no equipment. The fisherman simply feels the ocean floor with his feet and searches for clams. As he digs with his feet a few inches below the ocean floor and feels clams or shellfish, he simply bends down and picks them up.
- Scour the ocean floor with a shinicock rake. This rake is short and meant to be used at low tide when the ocean floor has receded. Simply walk out on the wet sand and rake away. Once you uncover some shellfish, toss them in the bucket.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada:
Liverpool .... for food from the sea
