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Health & Fitness

Cape Cod is the Place to Go Clamming

For visitors and residents alike, there is no place quite like the Cape to go clamming.

Anyone who has ever visited or even read about Cape Cod knows that it is home to some of the nation’s most succulent seafood, not to mention an abundance of famous seafood shacks and restaurants. Lobster, scallops, and cod are some of the region’s specialties, but clam chowder and fried clams are at their finest on the Cape. And for visitors and residents alike, there is no place quite like the Cape to go clamming.

Among the sightseers, beach-goers, and boaters who flock seasonally to Cape Cod’s beaches, you’ll also see intrepid individuals out clamming. You might see children or the less experienced digging in the mud along the shoreline, but seasoned pros prefer to wade out into the surf with their clam rakes and floating baskets, combing the sand for steamers and quahogs.

If you haven’t been clamming before and you’d like to give it a try, you’ll need to get a license. Specific shellfish permits apply for each town on the Cape, so you should stop by the town hall or natural resource office in the town where you’re planning to go clamming. Be sure to keep the license with you whenever you head out to the clam flats. Permit costs vary between residents and tourists, from town to town, and by the length of time that they are valid. However, aside from the fun and satisfying challenge of foraging for your own clams, you’ll likely find that you get a lot more bang for your buck than you would when buying your clams from a fishmonger or restaurant. And as a bonus, you can steam them up yourself or create your own take on a chowder.

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You’ll also want to find out whether any areas are closed for the day or season. There are guidelines as to the size of clams that are legal to harvest, so find out this information and visit a local fishing supply store to buy a clam ring to help you measure the clams that you find. There are also limits on the amount of clams that can be harvested in a single day, so make sure you know the size the bucket or basket where you’re keeping your haul as well as the limit for the area. Finally, ask around to find out the best places to go clamming.

When you head out, make sure you’re aware of the tides so that you don’t wander out and get stranded by the tide moving in. It’s a good idea to wear water shoes to avoid cutting yourself on any protruding rocks or glass that is hidden in the sand. Keep your clams in water so that they have plenty of oxygen and are still alive when you plan to cook them.

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Barnstable, Brewster, and Eastham are known for clamming, and if you want to go a step further, Wellfleet is home to oyster beds and Eastham also offers mussels. If you ask around on the Cape, you’ll find the best places to harvest your own shellfish. Once you get the hang of it, there’s nothing left to do but create some of your own delicious recipes!

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