Clam Clinics Siletz Bay are a great way to introduce those new to clam digging and the wonders of the marine environment. As shown in the first photo below, clam digging enthusiasts met at the Lincoln City Library on Tuesday May 20th at 18:30 pm for a lecture on digging two of the most clam species common to Oregon's Bays, Eastern softshell clams and purple varnish clams. We met the follow day on Wednesday May 21st at the gravel pullout just north of the Bay House Restaurant at 12:00 pm to dig purple varnish clams and Eastern softshell clams.

The clam digging enthusiast in the second, third and fourth photos is dressed to protect herself against the harmful effects of the sun by wearing a floppy hat and scarf. In addition, she is wearing gloves to protect her fingers from cuts from the sharp edges of the clam shells. Of the clam diggers who participated in the dig, she concentrated her digging effort on softshell clams.

The male clam digging enthusiast in photos five, six and seven utilized the clam digging methods recommended for digging soft shell clams and purple varnish clams. His wife, a first time clam digger, had a great time digging nearly a limit of purple varnish clams.

Puple varnish clams are the easiest clam species to dig from Oregon's coastal waters. Digging purple varnish clams from the soft sand in Siletz Bay is the best way to introduce those new to digging bay clams in Oregon. The clams are dug from the tidal flats below the Schooner Creek Wayside along HWY 101 in the Taft area of Lincoln City, however, the best access to the tidal flats is from gravel turnout just north of the Bay House Restaurant. Siletz Bay is also home to softshell clams. In fact the distribution of softshell and purple varnish clams overlap and you may encounter one of the species while digging for the other.

Siletz Bay Crabbing is excellent. Crab in the main channel seaward from a point just south of Cutler City. Crabbing from the north shore is very popular with crabbers using the Crab Max folding crab trap as shown in the video clip of my friend Dustin taking crabs during the September equinox Crabbing from the North Shore of Siltez Bay.

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