Morning razor clam dig approved April 21-23
You are going to get another chance to get your hands on razor clams this season as the Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife announced approved clamming beaches for the upcoming weekend April 21-23rd. Here are the details:
Beach openings for upcoming digs, along with morning low tides, are:
April 21, Saturday (7:28 a.m., -0.3 feet): Long Beach, Twin Harbors only
April 22, Sunday (8:01 a.m., -0.4 feet): Long Beach and Twin Harbors only
April 23, Monday (8:35 a.m., -0.4 feet): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks
Note that you are not able to clam on Copalis and Mocrocks beaches on the 21st and 22nd. Also, Checkout our other pages about How To Razor Clam and How to Identify a Razor Clam hole or Razor Clam Show on the beach. Also, See our Razor Clamming Gear Checklist by clicking here!
Our Family Grows!
indexwa.org is a friend of ediblemushrooms.org!
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That's right we are growing! This time our new addition to the fam is a blog dedicated to the quaint town of Index WA. Headed out to the town of Index? Or maybe headed out to Stevens Pass and just passing through Index WA? If so then http://indexwa.org/ is a great site to review before your trip! This site is a great site to visit if you ever wondered about the history of Index or if you are looking for a quiet town close to Seattle to visit. This site is packed with Index facts, updates and changes. Please give a warm welcome to another part of our Pacific Northwest network!
Results of Late March Razor Clamming in Washington 2012
The foraging continues even while we wait for morels to pop. In-fact, I have been keeping my eye on the national growth report for Morels and it seems that Morels are reportedly popping in as north as northern California and southern Oregon. By many reports this is going to be an early Morel season! Ok but even still we are a month or more away from the first Morel popping in Washington state. Soo that's why we are foraging for Razor Clams this March and April. If you like to forage for things other then edible mushrooms then you will probably love Razor Clamming.
We just came back from our razor clamming session and take a look at what our report:
A Razor Clamming trip to Ocean Shores WA March-April 2012:
We jumped into the car and off to the Washington coast to get some razor clams. We did have some rubber boots, clam shovels and a clam gun but really you can dig razor clams by hand and without tools if you are careful. First lets talk about a few things:
Why are they called Razor Clams? -
Their thin shells are sharp and the absentminded digger can suffer a paper cut like cut to the fingers or hands. To avoid being cut by a Razor Clam you should dig parallel to the ocean rather then perpendicular as the Razor clams sharp edge of the shell will face the ocean.
How do I identify a Razor Clam hole on the beach? -
When you walk along the beach you are looking for a slight dimple or depression in the sand. This is called a "Razor Clam show". Once you find something that matches this description you can tap the ground nearby with a shovel or your boot and the depression should turn into a clear hole. See a video of this behavior here:
Once I find a Razor Clam Show what next!? -
Razor Clams are fast, they can dig at about an inch every second. So once you find a Razor Clam show you have to dig fast! There are 3 Razor Clam digging tools to choose from. You can use a Clam Shovel, a Razor Clam Gun or just your hands! Click here to see how the Washington State Fish and Game government website suggests using a Clam Shovel or Clam gun to harvest clams. If you are careful and you don't want to buy any extra clamming equipment, you can do it by hand. (this is our preferred way as it leads to less broken clams!) See a video of us hand digging a razor clam:
At the end of the day we had a good amount of clams and enjoyed a great day on the Washington coast as you can see!
Our Razor Clam Catch for the Day
If you haven't Razor Clammed you haven't lived! Haha really though if you want to try to razor clam on your own there is an upcoming season opening here check it out:
PROPOSED beach openings, along with morning low tides, for upcoming digs are:
April 7, Saturday (7:36 a.m., -1.2 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
April 8, Easter Sunday (8:23 a.m., -1.5 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
April 9, Monday (9:11 a.m., -1.5 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Kalaloch
New Razor Clam Dates Opened – Washington State 2012
Hey yall! If you tried to go Razor Clamming in late February 2012 in Washington state and you ended up with just two tiny razor clams, try again! There are some new dates approved for Razor Clamming this weekend on the Washington coast. Also, check out the proposed dates for March and April 2012. Ok now you have something to do this weekend!
APPROVED Morning low tides and beach Razor Clam openings for this weekend are:
Saturday, March 10, (7:39 a.m. -0.3 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Sunday, March 11, (9:28 a.m. -0.4 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
March 24, Saturday (8:25 a.m., +0.3 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
March 25, Sunday (8:59 a.m., +0.3 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
PROPOSED beach openings, along with morning low tides, for upcoming digs are:
April 7, Saturday (7:36 a.m., -1.2 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
April 8, Easter Sunday (8:23 a.m., -1.5 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
April 9, Monday (9:11 a.m., -1.5 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Kalaloch
Razor Clam Season Washington Announced 2-18-12 and 2-19-12
Let's Go Get Some Razor Clams in Washington!
It's cold outside and all the mushrooms are still being held back by this cold weather. Soon though we will be on the hunt for all the classic spring edible mushrooms including the King Bolete and the lovable Morel. While the mushrooms lay low in Washington for February, we were getting antsy. Lets go fishing. Razor clam season is now and if you still have your adventurous spirit from the long winter, you should get your hands on some local Washington Razor Clams. Here is what you will need for Washington Razor Clam fishing this season 2012:
Razor Clam Fishing Checklist:
Check to see Razor Clams are in season and low tide times: wdfw.wa.gov
Make sure you have proper licensing: WA State Fishing Requirements - A current standard WA State Combination Fishing License DOES cover Razor Clamming so no need for extra licensing.
Preparation: Watch How to Clean Razor Clams , How to Cook Razor Clams- cooking instructions from CookingNorthofSeattle.com
Gear: Clam Gun or Clam Shovel, Boots, Light, Bucket
Hotel: Ocean Shore WA Hotels and surrounding areas from booking.com
We have provided a map of the areas that you are allowed to fish for Razor Clams in Washington this year in Long Beach Wa and Ocean Shores Wa areas. Some added notes are that you must keep the first 15 Razor Clams you catch reguardless of size or condition. Also, 15 is the limit per fisherman. Each fisherman must have their own clam bucket or sack as there is no sharing. Fires are allowed on the beaches in Ocean Shores WA but you have to stay away from grasses, drift wood and sand dunes. Hope everyone can get out there and we will follow up with some pictures of the fishing day.
Pink and Silver Salmon Summer/Fall Fishing
Whidbey Island Salmon Fishing - 9-12-11
We just got back from a trip to Whidbey Island to do some Salmon fishing. We lucked out and found a campsite at Fort Ebey Campground thanks to a guy named John Coffin. He let us have a site that he wasn't using but had already reserved! Thanks John! The campsite was sweet! We did some evening fishing that night at Fort Casey just down the street from Fort Ebey. We didn't have any luck but we did get a couple of hits using pink middle sized buzz bombs. I have included a picture of me holding a monster Silver salmon that I caught just the weekend before right off the shore of Fort Casey. On Saturday we didn't catch any fish but we did see the Orcas playing in the sound off of Fort Casey. Anyways after catching nothing Friday and Saturday on Fort Casey we moved up to Deception Pass Campground to fish around the North Beach area of Deception pass. There we saw several Pink Salmon get caught on Pink Buzz Bombs. Then we moved down to West Beach where we watched another two pinks get caught. The tide was slack high and people were still catching. I was told the Pinks were kinda past and that the Silvers were mostly in the water. But, I also talked to a fisherman that said he had been up the last couple weekends and caught a total of 9 Silvers. And I watched people catching Pinks right in front of me. So anyways. Moral of the story: get to fishing on the sound asap before it gets cold!
Silver Salmon on Fort Casey WA 9-5-11
Orca (Killer) Whales off of Fort Casey on Whidbey Island 9-11-11
Two Orca Whales off of Fort Casey beach in WA State 9-11-11
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Blond Morels at Lake Chelan Washington on 5-25-11
We were going up to Lake Chelan around May 25th. It's been a while since then but I figured I should post about the black Morels and blond Morels that we found. Our first day, of 3, was the best. We went near Twenty-Five mile Creek State Park on Lake Chelan. In general there were more trees in this area and just looked a little more lush then other areas nearby. We decided to use a small creek to help get us into the nearby pine trees that we could see were about a quarter mile away. As we walked along the creek we found ourselves in a very nice grove of willow trees. It was grassy with young willow trees providing nice shade. It was a great walk but right away we started finding black Morels. Near the creek and growing in the shade of the willow trees. After a while we found about 15 black morels and 2 monster blond morel mushrooms. Once we got into the pines we only found about 10 more black morel mushrooms. The other 2 days were a bust we found about 10 total but the hikes were nice. Here are the pictures we took from this trip:
Black Morel Mushrooms at Lake Chelan 2011
These are some black Morels we found in the pines ^
Two Huge Blond Morel Mushrooms at Lake Chelan 2011
Whaaaat time is iiiiit? Time to eat these monster blond Morel mushrooms seen here next to my normal sized wristwatch ^
Martin Smit Holding a Deer Antler we Found
Lastly, we found this 7 point deer antler. I know you can't see all seven but they are there! It was a pretty cool find.
Another Rimrock Lake Morel Adventure 6-03-11
After my Rimrock Lake adventure about 2 weeks ago proved to be a little early for my "money" spots, I decided to take another little trip to the lake. I headed out mid-day on Thursday, which ended up being a shorter than usual ride. I decided to take the hwy 410 to 123 route instead of the usual I-90 route. It only took about 2.5 hours from Seattle, but I'd say from Cayuse Pass to Rimrock lake it really seemed to drag due to the crazy down pour of rain. Usually this would be pretty disappointing, but in the mushroom world this is a great sign. I got to my jump-off location around 3 and quickly hopped into the woods. My spots were just starting to pop and I ended up having a pretty good day. Unfortunately it was really wet,so I don't really have a lot of pictures of the first day.
The final harvest for day one....a good mix of blondes and blacks.
Day 2 started with a bang. I broke camp, had a bite to eat, and was in the woods by 9. By 9:30 I had half a bread bag full. Once again, a good mix of blondes and blacks.
I pretty much was finding Morels in all kinds of areas; however, the shaded areas around 2800'-3000' we producing the biggest and freshest morels.
The harvest after 2 days.....Really starting to fill the cooler now.
For day 3 I decided to check the other side of the lake. The conditions in this location where much drier, a lot rockier, and filled with downed branches. I spent a good 4 hours over there and found nothing but blonde morels, about two bread bags full to be exact. Once again, unfortunately, I forgot my camera at camp so no pictures for that day.
Day 4, the final day was one of the best. To start off the morning, I meet up with two individuals from the Seattle area to help show them the ropes of the mushroom world. They really seemed to enjoy themselves and we all ended up going home with at least a few mushrooms. This day was filled with HUGE natural black morels. I mean HUUUGGGEEEE.
Overall this trip was a huge success. I checked at least 7-8 different Forest Service Roads and pulled all kinds of Morels from each area. When it was all said and done I had nearly 22 pounds of market quality mushrooms for my friends at Manzo Bros. Produce down at Pike's Place Market and another couple of pounds for personal consumption. Just look at this bounty.
Things are really starting to take off now so it looks I'm heading off to Lake Wenatchee next. Check in next week for any updates, and feel free to let me know how any of your seasons are doing. In addition, if you have any time you should take a trip to Pike's Place Market and stop by the Manzo Bros. Produce stand and check out the fresh Morels; let them know that Ediblemushrooms.org sent you. Good luck again, and Happy Hunting.
Morels at Cle Elum Lake 5-28-11
So for what ended up being a pretty nice Memorial weekend, my girlfriend and myself decided to check-out Cle Elum Lake. I've heard all kinds of great things, and it's only an hour and half drive from Seattle. Not really sure why I haven't stopped there before. The purpose of the trip wasn't solely for morels like most of my other trips. This trip was for relaxing, hiking (getting ready to do the Washington section of the PCT in mid-July), and just a little mushrooming. We intended to stay at the Cle Elum River campground, but to no surprise on this busy weekend it was completely full. Therefore ,we went a little further down on the Salmon La Sac road to the Salmon La Sac Campground. It's a fairly large campground, and even though there were A LOT of campers we still managed to find a nice spot.
Our mushroom adventure was short, but somewhat fruitful. Being that neither of us had ever hunted for morels in this area, we were on more of a scouting mission.
We searched two different forest service roads for a total of about three hours. We started by searching some partial shade areas, but as it turns out the only place that we found some where in the open grass sunny areas.
Total we only found 5 morels. It still feels like it may be a little early for the Cle Elum area. Just need a few more warmer days and nights. However, on a good note, this is the first trip with my girlfriend that we actually found some morels.
In conclusion, it was a great trip to a new location and we both had a lot of fun. So, if you have never been to Lake Cle Elum it's definitely worth the trip. Good luck and Happy Hunting.
Morels at Rimrock Lake WA 5-20-11
Due to some unforeseen lingering snow at my higher elevation spots in Oregon, I decided to check out an old reliable spot; Rimrock Lake Washington. It's a really large lake surrounded by all kinds of great camping spots, and numerous forest service roads to explore. However, as is life, my journey to get there didn't really go as planned. On I-82, just south of Ellensburg, WA, my car decided that it needed a little break. I pulled over and with a little help from my lovely girlfriend Francesca I found Dean's Towing & Auto Service. The tow was cheap, there customer service was great, and the service was fast. If you ever find yourself in trouble while in the Ellensburg area, I would definitely call Dean's Towing and Auto Service.
Well, after all this craziness, I finely arrived at my final location just outside of Rimrock Lake around lunch time. Due to some other craziness regarding my car's warranty I had to get my car back to Seattle by the end of the next day. Unfortunately, this meant that I only had about 6-8 hours of hunting time. The first day started a little slow. I wasn't really sure of what specific areas to be checking, but after an hour or so it seemed to be the flat, half-shaded, open forest areas at 2500'-3000'.
I didn't really find many locations, but the ones I did find were fairly large in quantity.
I'm sure I missed plenty of mushrooms though because most of these locations were also covered in Pine cones. Just take a look for yourself.
The first day ended pretty well with a good pile of black morels, and a super bomb campsite with a great view.
The second day was a little slower, and most of the morel locations I was finding were in full to partial sun. This seemed a little weird to me because the sun was getting pretty intense; almost in the 80's. In addition, most of the mushrooms that I found were of the gray type.
Nevertheless, both days finds may have been slightly different, and in slightly different locations, but they were all super young and fresh. So young and fresh that I even found a few mushrooms that were still on there way up.
With both days harvest combined I had roughly 5 pounds. Not to bad for 6 hours of hunting this early in the season.
While on this trip I also had some pretty cool other mushroom finds. Just take a look at this golden mushroom I found; not really sure what it is. Any ideas???
I also found all kinds of False Morels - Gyromitra montana
and a bunch of Caloscypha fulgens.
Overall the trip was short, but a big success. I harvest a good amount of mushrooms, checked out some new areas, and soaked up a lot of sun. This area was looking good, but I can't wait to see what it looks like in a few weeks. I'm not really sure on my next trip yet, but I'm thinking Highway 97. Check back next week for more information. Good Luck, and Happy Hunting.
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