TRAVEL

'Hook 'Em and Cook 'Em' launches July 18 with a big dig

Henry Miller
Statesman Journal
Join Victor Panichkul, Statesman Journal food, beer and wine columnist, and Henry Miller, outdoor writer/columnist, on July 18 for the kickoff event of the “Hook ’Em and Cook ’Em” how-to series.
  • 'Hook 'Em and Cook 'Em'
  • When%3A 8 a.m. July 18
  • Where%3A Siletz Bay%3B find directions at bottom of story

Now here's a shovel-ready event that you can sink your teeth into, to mangle a metaphor.

Victor Panichkul, the Statesman Journal Media food, wine and beer guru, and I will be putting on the first in a series of events that we've dubbed "Hook 'Em and Cook 'Em."

I'm going to give an alfresco hands-on lesson in digging purple-varnish clams on Siletz Bay while Victor is firing up the portable propane burner on the beach to prepare linguine and clams in a garlic white wine sauce.

Once you've started, I'll be a roving coach to help individuals and groups get up to speed.

Hey, if I can get a limit the first time that I went out, so can you.

In the interests of full disclosure, I'm going over the day before to dig a limit of clams so that I can bring them back to Salem and purge most of the sand out for Victor so that you don't grind down your molars tasting his creation.

All are welcome to "Hook 'Em and Cook 'Em," and it makes for a great outing for kids.

And there will be prizes.

Statesman Journal subscribers (print, online, mobile, the whole cannoli, whatever) will get a free Statesman Journal soft cartoon cooler to bring home the bacon, er bivalves.

That's a cooler with comics on the outside, not an origami of the Sunday comics section folded in the shape of a cooler.

We selected purple varnish because it's a great beginner clam and the limit is a very generous 72-a-day a person. You probably already have the implements that you need in your tool or garden shed, and Siletz Bay is the mother lode of the small-but-tasty shellfish.

About that limit … remember if you keep them, you have to clean them.

And if you have several family members, the task can be almost Herculean. Also you need to keep an accurate count to be legal, and 72 is a lot of clams to keep track of.

Trust me on that one. I'm glad that the limits on most of Oregon's other clams do not exceed the number of fingers and toes that I have.

While registration is not required, we'd kind of like to get a loose head count, so if you could send me an email to let me know how many are coming in your party, it would be appreciated.

Just put "Hook 'Em and Cook 'Em" in the subject line and send to: outdoors@StatesmanJournal.com. If you don't have a computer, give me a call at the number at the end of the column.

RULE NO. 1 FOR EVERY CLAMMING OUTING: Call this number the night before: (800) 448-2474. It's the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Shellfish Safety Hotline with recorded information about current closures.

OK, here are the legal disclaimers:

  • Each person 14 and older must have an Oregon Shellfish License ($7 a year for residents, $11.50 for a three-day non-resident if you're bringing out-of-state guests).
  • Those must be purchased in advance at sporting goods stores such as Big 5, Dick's and Sportsman's Warehouse, Sports Authority Sporting Goods or stores such as Bi-Mart (at the sporting goods counter) and Fred Meyer (at the returns counter) or other stores where you see the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife logo.
  • Once on the beach, each person must have their own container. I like a nylon mesh bag, but a plastic bucket works well and can be used to hold ice for your catch if you don't have a cooler.
  • Avoid plastic bags, especially if it's hot.
  • On this outing, Victor's the only one who should be cooking at the beach.
  • Each person must dig their own clams.

Got that. All of the lawyers can now leave the room.

So now it's time to raid the tool shed.

Any kind of shovel works except a straight-bladed model, including that industrial-strength behemoth "grain shovel" that you bought to get the snow off the sidewalk or driveway (remember when you used to need it? Me neither).

I've dug purple varnish using everything from a long-handled full-size spade shovel (overkill) to a narrow-bladed and rounded-end bulb shovel with a short handle (sweet).

Thanks to a generous gift certificate the past Christmas from my brother, Steve, I'm putting on my big-boy pants for this outing with a certified clam shovel.

I also recommend a pair of stout (but not leather) gardening gloves to prevent cuts, plus antiseptic and band aids for if you do get a nick. Bottled water is nice, and so is a hand towel.

You're going to do a lot of kneeling, so old pants are de rigueur. Old tennies or rubber boots will help, or hip or chest waders, if you've got them, make for a dry run, so to speak.

Then it's happy hunting and bon appetit.

See you on the beach.

Henry Miller is an outdoors reporter at the Statesman Journal. His Outdoors column runs Fridays in the Our Outdoors section. You can reach Henry at hmiller@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6725 or follow at twitter.com/henrymillersj or facebook.com/hmillersj

'Hook 'Em and Cook 'Em'

When: 8 a.m. July 18

Getting there: Take highways 22/18 to Highway 101 through Lincoln City, through Taft and over the Schooner Creek Bridge. Go past the first pull-out to the large dirt parking area on the right and park on the south end. From there, it's a short walk to the purple varnish El Dorado