Seafood foraging - crabbing, razor clams

[tweed0101]

HI ladies and gents.
I am new to all of this outdoor malarkey, but having seen a few TV programs about foraging, have been inspired.

I would be very interested in learning how to go crabbing and finding cockles and razor clams.

I live in kent, and was hoping you may have some recommendations on where to go, and any permissions i may need.

Many thanks

 

[yomperalex]

My limited experience on razor clams

• Best at low tide, preferably a neap tide that is lower than normal;
• Tread lightly so they don't sense you;
• Look for a keyhole shaped hole, the old fashioned type of 2 wholes connected by a slot O===O;
• Sprinkle some salt and then squirt some water to simulate the returning tide;
• when it appears grip firmly but don't pull, wait for the clam to tire from trying to pull itself back down;
• When the clam tires (quite easy to tell) just pull it out and stick it in your bucket.

The really difficult bit is telling which beaches are worth bothering with.

Good luck.

Alex

 

[xylaria]

Cockles you need the right place and most importantly you need a safe place. We bartered a safety lesson off a cockler for wild food lesson and bag of sea beet and other goodies, we know enough to stay safe but outside of our area we as dumb as the next guy. Around here you should only take one bucket for personal use, any more require a licience which is got off our local council. Knowledge of tide and the sands and what they look like before they turn to quick sand is really important, these conditions differ widely, and you need local advice. Cockles are found just above low tide in flat sands. They quite easy to spot as birds will gather around them, they are just below the surface of the sand, for personal use a hand just racking through gets enough in the right area.

Mussels I find are much easier and safer to collect. you should know if there is any out flow pipes or industrial history before collecting mussels. Seaweed is safe and easy as well, there is host of differant textures and flovours to find cooking and eating the many differant types of seaweed.

 

[tweed0101]

thanks guys! that is a great starting point! are these available all year round, or are there certain seasons?

 

[FGYT]

My limited experience on razor clams

• Best at low tide, preferably a neap tide that is lower than normal;
• Tread lightly so they don't sense you;
• Look for a keyhole shaped hole, the old fashioned type of 2 wholes connected by a slot O===O;
• Sprinkle some salt and then squirt some water to simulate the returning tide;
• when it appears grip firmly but don't pull, wait for the clam to tire from trying to pull itself back down;
• When the clam tires (quite easy to tell) just pull it out and stick it in your bucket.

The really difficult bit is telling which beaches are worth bothering with.

Good luck.

Alex

you mean Spring tides when the Water goes out the furthest (also comes in the furthest and moves in and out the fastest)

 

[yomperalex]

you mean Spring tides when the Water goes out the furthest (also comes in the furthest and moves in and out the fastest)

whoops, that's exactly what I meant, thanks

Alex

 

[Ichneumon]

Excellent vid of catching razor shells here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlKRfvHHYT0

For cockles and mussels get local advice. Also ask about sewer outfalls in the area. Generally speaking cockles are safer than mussels, which accout for more food poisoning cases than almost anything, but I have been VIOLENTLY ill from eating cockles.

Limpets are generally safe.

For cockles and winkles, if you keep them in a bucket of clean salty water overnight they'll purge themselves of nasties including sand and be ready for the pot.

As there are no poisonous seaweeds the biggest danger is eating something that tastes yuk! I'd suggest buying a little guide, like 'Food for free' it'll only cost you a couple of quid and serve you well.

Good luck!

 

[The Ratcatcher]

Catching crabs is easy if you know the area, and have the right kit. I went up to Cumbria earlier this year, put two crab traps out among some rocks at low tide, and by the next low tide had six crabs, two small groupers and an eel.

For information about seasons, regulations and where to go, contact your local Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. The fisheries officers can be very helpful, I went to see the chief fisheries officer for NWIFCA, and had my net gauge checked, my crab traps approved and loads of useful information about where to fish, tides, regulations and even which local campsites were best, all free and all in about an hour.

I hope this helps, and that you have as much sucess as I had.

Alan

 

[xylaria]

Fergus Drennen does coastal foraging courses in kent. I have tried crabbing, i have the right net, a bait locals sweared by, dumped net in place the same local sweared by and got naff all. i have never had a problem with mussles, but my dad got hospitalised from eating mussles. Our tide table has the size minuiums on mussles and otehr shell fish, and the off season.

 

[Andy BB]

With razor clams, one good tip is to check the beach for razor shells - no point looking for them if there aren't any out there! And its very likely the only place you'll find them is at spring tides - I have had very little luck tracing them at any other time. Instead of separating the water and salt, making a strong brine solution and putting it in a squeezy bottle works just as well, if not better.

If you don't have any salt with you, one trick I was taught many decades ago by locals in Ireland was to locate a hole (keyhole as described above), then make a knife of your hand with stiff, straight fingers, and drive it at an angle into the side of the expected placing of the shell (ie on the side of the keyhole, a couple to four inches below the surface). you press the shell firmly against the side of its hole to keep it in place, then use your other hand to dig down and grasp the shell from the top. Then wait until it gives up the struggle before pulling it out gently. After a bit of practice my father and I caught plenty of the beasties, although we only used them for fishing bait, I'm sorry to admit. Nowadays that would be a terrible waste, as they taste delicious - at least as good as scallops.

 

[tweed0101]

that is great. thanks for all of the advice. i shall definately have a go at this in the new year. does anybody know any good locations in kent?

 

[pastymuncher]

Camber/ Dymchurch maybe, I've seen people with nets on camber quite often when I was down there.

 

[The Ratcatcher]

If you want to catch crabs the easy way, Go Outdoors have some good folding crab traps in their fishing section. We tried a couple earlier this year, and over a single tide, caught half a dozen crabs, two grouper and a small eel. If you want any further info, just ask.

Alan

 

[tweed0101]

many thanks, ill give that a go

 

[antbarson]

Hi
Does anyone know if it would be safe to catch and eat razor clams in Skegness?
Thanks

 

[antbarson]

Bump bump bump

 

[leedsbrew]

Alan

is that net collapsible? cheers

Neil

 

[bob_the_baker]

making a strong brine solution and putting it in a squeezy bottle works just as well, if not better.

+1 to brine - the brine solution needs to be totally saturated, take plenty and don't be shy with it. I usually use the sports type water bottles but recently experimented with putting a length of siphon tube into the end of a squeezy tomato ketchup bottle, that way I could deliver the brine right into the unfortunate razor's face, using less solution. Was very pleased with the results. PS - night hunting seems to be even more productive. With razors the lower the tide the better, even an extra 10cm drop in tide can expose a lot more, usually unfished, land, whereas a stiff onshore breeze can ruin a trip.

For the cockles, I am lucky and my razor beach is also my cockle beach, they tend to congregate around the mid-tide area and there are normally a few on the surface as markers. Have a quick rake, if they aren't there move on. Sometimes moving a metre in any direction will put you on a hot spot

 

[Arya]

Maybe someone has already written this, but you can go hunting crabs with torchlight. Instant crab if you don't want to wait for the traps to fill up, and if you want a very nice night time activity

 

[Ronnie]

You don't need permission. Make sure you're in a clean water area. Bring a bucket and a spade (a proper one) - you'll soon work it out