Razor Clam digs on Washington Coast Start this weekend – KPQ

If you need a rest from the mountain, go to the shore and dig for mussels.

You may think – Really? Mussels? Yes! Mussels!

Pacific razors differ from three to six inches in length, but some can reach the foot and the Fish and Wildlife Division in Washington (WDFW) has opened more than two dozen dates to take your own mussels.

These little bugs are ideal for breaking and frying a tin into mussels, making a digging mussel for the cold winter days ahead or even just dipping in some melted butter.

Here is a tip from personal experience: look for wild and cut holes in the ground. This is where the razor mussels are hidden. Investing in a mussel pistol, a hollow at a depth of one foot and a six inches with a metal diameter or a PVC pipe with a handle on it will save a world of effort. Only the most experienced razor diggers try to dig for them with a shovel because they dig over a leg per minute. For the mussel, this is lightning fast!

Pacific razors can be predisposed to amnesic mussel poisoning (ASP) due to the accumulation of houseic acid – a marine toxin that collects in most types of mussels.

WDFW regularly tests for home acid and confirms that razor mussels are safe to consume for the following dates.

February 8, Saturday, 15:36; 0.1 feet; Long Beach, Double Ports, Wets
February 9, Sunday, 16:29; -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Double Ports, Copalis
February 10, Monday, 17:15; -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Double Ports, Copalis
February 11, Tuesday, 17:54; -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Double Ports, Wets
February 12, Wednesday, 18:29; -0.4 feet; Long Beach, Double Ports, Wets
February 13, Thursday, 19:01; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Double Ports, Copalis
February 14, Friday, 19:32; 0.4 feet; Long Beach, Double Ports, Copalis
There are more indicative dates here (as the conditions for the edibility of razor mussels) listed here.