Clam digs ready to go Sat., Sun.

Clam digs ready to go Sat., Sun.

By GEORGE KUNKE

It’s time to get back into the swing of things with clam digging. The Washington state fishery managers have approved an evening razor clam dig for this Saturday and Sunday at Twin Harbors and Long Beach. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved the digs after marine toxin tests showed the clams on those beaches are safe to eat. However, no digging will be allowed at either beach before noon.

“The dig(s) are limited to Twin Harbors and Long Beach, the two ocean beaches with the most clams available for harvest,” WDFW Coastal Shellfish Manager Dan Ayres told the Herald.

The Twins Harbors beach is the one that is commonly referred to as the area that stretches between Grays Harbor to Willapa Bay, according to Ayres

“As always the weather will be a factor, Ayres said. “At the last opener, we had perfect weather and huge crowds everywhere. February can also be a big turnout. People get back in the mood.

“On the sections on the beach on the south end enables you to get your clams pretty darn early,” Ayres said. “There’s a mix of sizes, which is actually biologically a good thing. The bigger ones are about five inches long. They’re a little smaller in Long Beach and there are fewer larger ones. They’re really good eating – ever though they haven’t fattened up totally. The clams in the fall can have a lot of meat.”

“Ordinarily, at this of the year the tides aren’t as good, but they should be OK,” Ayres added.

Evening low tides for those two beaches included:

* Saturday, 5:12 p.m., +0.3 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach;

* Sunday, 5:47 p.m., +0.1 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach.

Ayres said that the best digging occurs one-to-two hours prior to low tide.

Ayres noted that by law, clam diggers are limited to 15 razor clams per day, and are required to keep the first 15 clams they dig, and each digger's clams must be kept in a separate container.

Also, all diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2012-13 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available on WDFW’s website at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov and from license vendors around the state.

For more information about the location of Washington’s razor clam beaches and current and proposed digs can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/current.html.