Hurry up low tide, I’ve got razor clam fever!

Published 4:00 pm Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Donald Allison

I had only been living in Seaside a few weeks when one morning while driving to work I was shocked to see a normally empty parking lot at 12th Avenue and Prom full of large pick-up trucks. My razor-sharp reporting instincts instantly told me that there was either a whale washed up or possibly a boat had come ashore. As I slowed down to park my car, I thought, Why would all the onlookers drive the same type of truck? Then suddenly, someone stepped out from beside one of the trucks in waders carrying a clam gun. Ah hah! Clammers!

I felt pretty silly for not knowing right away what was going on, and although it sounded like fun going out there and shooting some photos of the clammers, I still harbor a lot of guilt for all the seafood I cut or killed over the years when I worked filleting fish at the Fish Market restaurants in San Diego. I consider all living things like little people, and at the time in the parking lot I thought it was sad to pull out a clam from its happy home in the beach sand.

When I turned 16, I applied for a job at the Fish Market restaurant as a busboy, but they told me I was too skinny to carry the heavy dish luggers consistently, so they put me in the fish market proper at the front of the establishment. It was fun at night to put on a show cutting fish for all the people waiting to eat. The owners of our restaurant owned a boat and a plane and the two would team up to catch huge swordfish, and at night the fishermen would often come in unannounced right at prime time.

Once, the guys brought half of a massive swordfish that was as big around as a horse. Because I was the runt of the market, the guys had me do the first cut, and I had to straddle it like a bronco to properly make the first slice. All the guys told me to take a good look at the fish because it was the biggest swordfish I would ever see. They were so right, and over the years I watched all the fish come in consistently smaller from overfishing. It breaks my heart to see the swordfish steaks at the grocery store now because they have gotten so small.

But happily, our razor clams here on the North Coast are in record numbers, with some of the best clamming available right here in Seaside. After eating some fried razor clams recently, Ive decided that it would be all right to take in the local culture and get out on that beach with my shovel! After seeing the photo of razor clams on the beach that the Seaside Aquarium sent me last week, I have had razor clam fever, and Ive already gotten my shellfish license at Rite Aid and a shovel. I even put the tide tables in the paper (page 14) so we know when to go clamming!

After talking with some locals, it seems everyone has their own technique on how, when and where to take the best razor clams. I cant wait to try out some of the things Ive heard, and I thank those of you who have trusted me with such valuable information. Ill see you out there.