Cleaning a Horse Neck Clam. Also called a Gaper Clam.

Cleaning a Horse Neck Clam.  Also called the Gaper Clam.

The Horse Neck can either live in Sand, Sticky Mud or Rocky areas.  In the sand, they could be as deep as 4 feet, in the mud maybe 2 feet while on the rocky bed, could only be as deep as a foot.  Whether they are in mud, sand or rock, they are not easy to take.  You have to dig them out.

There is another clam that is smaller than the Horse Neck which is the soft shell clam.  The soft shell clam is not as big as the Horse Neck and has a lot softer shell which tends to crack and break while being dug.

We have harvested these clams from Elk Horn Slough near Montery to Bodega Bay.  The tell tale signs are the squirts.  You could actually see their siphons out of the hole or the tunnel.  They like a more sheltered bay where they are not subjected to pounding waves.  They tend to die when dug out from their habitat so make sure that you are digging the biggest ones in the area you are clamming.  The bigger the siphons, the bigger the clam and it might also be deeper.

You are allowed to take 10 regardless of size added to your other clam limits such as the Manila clams.  So if the limit is 50 clams, you can have 10 horse necks and 40 manila clams or other clams in combination.

Keep the clams in salt water and allow to breath while in transport.  In salt water without being aerated they could survive up to 2 days.  They will squirt so make sure the bucket or container you have them in has a lid.  Make sure they can breath if you intent to keep them overnight.  I had them in a bucket in the kitchen overnight and when I got down for breakfast the following morning, the floor was very wet.

You will need a California fishing license if you are older than 16.  Always call the California Biotoxin Hotline at (800) 553-4133 before clamming.  The month with the letter "R" doesn't always hold since the toxin could be present anytime.

Here is a link to the video on how to cleaning the horse neck clam.  Happy cleaning and eating.  They are delicious!

https://sfaerial.smugmug.com/Photography/The-Gallivanting-Life/