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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Ever go to your favorite seafood restaurant and order a dozen of clams? Did you ever wonder where the clams come from? After all, they aren't like normal fish. You can't catch them with a rod. How do they get from the sea to your plate?

Clams actually live under the sea floor. They use the sharp edge of their shell to burrow into the sand. So if you want to find them, you'll need to do a little digging.

Amateur clam fishermen will actually wade in a bay, outlet, or other area of salt water that isn't subject to the harsh ocean surf. They will take with them a special rake, which which looks like a steel rock rake, but also has small wire basket attached to it. They will also take a wooden basket that they put into a inner-tube so that the basket will stay afloat.

The clam fisherman will take the the rake and scratch the sea floor until they hear a scraping sound. After they hear this sound, they will dig the rake into the ground, pull it toward them, then bring the rake above the surface of the water. The dirt and small rocks will sift through the wire basket. What remains are either rocks, or clams. The clam is then placed in the wooden basket for safe keeping.

The process is time consuming, tiring, and can be frustrating, especially if all you are catching is large rocks. But a nice clam dinner will be worth the effort.

It is important to be aware of the fishing laws in the area where you chose to clam. There is usually a certain size that a clam must be in order to keep, and you can usually only keep so many. It is also important to be aware of the tides, because it is easier to clam when there is shallower water.

Clamming can also be an activity that yields a higher level of gratification. If the fish aren't biting, or a member of your family doesn't have the patience for more traditional fishing, clamming may be an entertaining substitute. Likewise both of these activities can be performed at the same time.

Now you know how the clams get from the ocean to your dinner table.

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by: FishFreakOnline

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