Victoria Golden Rods and Reels > Forum
BIVALVES => METHODS & EQUIPMENT => Topic started by: John Pierce on November 20, 2019, 06:16:14 PM
TOOLS
- Gloves: Optional, as mussels are sharp.
- Crowbar/Screwdriver: Often used to pry mussels off rocks, not allowed in BC, have to be hand picking only.
- Stainless Steel Scourer: To clean beard (hairs) off mussel shells.
- Knife: Optional, to clean barnacles off mussel shells, can also use one mussel on another with barnacles.
- Waterproof Bag or Plastic Bucket: For transporting mussels in seawater.
LOCATION
- Rocks (ie protected crevices from logs) or piers below high tide mark, sandy locations can result in mussels needing more purging as more grit/sand in them.
- Want medium or large size (tend to be at lowest tide mark, normally when full or new moons every two weeks), small not enough meat.
- Want clean mussels ideally free of barnacles as easier to clean. Note, barnacles do not change taste, just cleaning time.
METHOD
- Dig fingers in beside mussel that are not too tightly packed and twist and pull individual mussel off rock.
- Scrape mussels with scourer to clean and remove beard, if present, scrape barnacles off with knife.
- Place in bucket with some sea water for transport.
HANDLING
- CULLING: Never consume, if remain open when handled, dead, toss.
- PURGING: To reduce grittiness, you'll want to "purge" the sand from your catch by submerging them in water for a few hours, use the water they came from to keep them cool in the process.
- STORING: After purge, store in an open container in an ice chest or a refrigerator and drape a moist cloth or wet paper towels over the shellfish to keep them alive. Never seal them in a plastic bag or plastic containers — they need to breathe to live. Stored properly, they can be kept for several days.
SUMMER CLAMMING
- TIDES: In summer low tides occur during the day, in winter they are at night. Thus for summer clamming, daytime is best.
- MOON: The most extreme tides are during new moon and full moon, thus optimal time during summer is daylight when close to a new or full moon.
WINTER CLAMMING
- TIDES: In winter low tides occur at night, in summer they during the day. Thus for clamming in winter, beach access is best at night.
- MOON: The most extreme tides are during new moon and full moon, thus if clamming in winter, optimal evenings are when at full moon, when you have good light - provided the clouds are not too thick, also at new moon but then will need a headlight.
GOVT RULES
- AREA: Check DFO regulations for closures, in addition DFO says not allowed to harvest 1) within 125 metres around a marina, ferry wharf, floating living accommodation, or any finfish net pen, and 2) 300 metres around industrial, municipal and sewage treatment plant outfall discharges.
- AMOUNT: Check DFO regulations for area, normally 75 for Blue Mussels (can reach 9 cm in length), 25 for California Mussels (common on wave-swept rocky shores, can grow to 25 cm in length) per person per day, combined limit is 75, not 75+25! Possession is double.
- SIZE: No constraint from DFO.
REFERENCE
- Video - California Coastal Foraging for Beginners (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGtnkhhO2zg)
- Video - California Mussel Foraging (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RwO15swK6Y)
- Video - Oregon Mussel Hunt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4KgZYM2eD4)
- Video - Devon UK Mussel Foraging (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9ARKs5GBqw)