Freshwater Clams

[Backwoodsgal]

Just a couple of questions about freshwater clams that we caught in the river.

1. Does anyone know the regs on the clams are you allowed to keep them or are they catch and release?
2. If you are allowed to keep them are they edible/do they taste good?

[EZM]

I have read in a few places, they are not great tasting. They also need to be boiled for an extended period of time to make them safe and, as a result, are quite tough. As with most shellfish, clams have a tendency to absorb toxins more readily in water bodies that may contain natural or unnatural contaminants.

[HunterDave]

Don't eat them or you risk getting VERY sick. They filter out the toxins in the water. Boiling them might kill the bacteria but it won't do anything to the chemicals, etc that they absorb. It's not worth the risk.

[Albertafisher]

There's a ton in the paddle river on the outskirts of Barrhead. EZM is right about them absorbing toxins though.

[jacenbeers]

We dug up a bunch in the Nechako river when I was in grade 12 back in 1998. We boiled them for half an hour and tried some and it was absolutely awful.

[greylynx]

And from the Paddle like Alberta fisher has quoted we go to the Pembina where they also abound.

Hearsay from the old timers in the Pembina region says that the clams used to be fed to the pigs which helped increase their size. just like the netted suckers.

The problem was that the pig meat started to taste fishy. Local talent does not buy pork that makes elk sausage taste like rotten sardines. Mind you the cats might have liked it.

Therefore the pigs were always sold off in Edmonton, not locally.

[Coulee]

Technically, I think our freshwater clams (lots in the Red Deer) are actually mussels. And no, I wouldn't eat one.

[Backwoodsgal]

Thanks for all your answers, glad we decided not to keep them :)

[fish99]

battle lake is full of clams ,, troll bottom bouncers and they will clamp onto your line , not much of fight ..

[duck duck goose]

I've ate some that we collected in Northern Ontario. We boiled them up and ate them with some spicy tomato sauce. Nobody got sick from the couple dozen that we ate, but they were nothing to write home about. Kinda chewy...

[cube]

Just a couple of questions about freshwater clams that we caught in the river.

1. Does anyone know the regs on the clams are you allowed to keep them or are they catch and release?
2. If you are allowed to keep them are they edible/do they taste good?

Someone posted on here about 2 years ago now that they are edible but they used to put them into clean fresh water for a few days first. If I recall that only made them passible but certainly not great table fare. If you search for it here you may find it.

[cube]

Someone posted on here about 2 years ago now that they are edible but they used to put them into clean fresh water for a few days first. If I recall that only made them passible but certainly not great table fare. If you search for it here you may find it.

I guess it was just last year.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=180795&highlight=clams

[Backwoodsgal]

Thanks, if they're really nothing to write home about in the taste department I'll probably just leave them in the river.

[neekrivers]

can you use them for bait?

[cube]

can you use them for bait?

For what it's worth, many many moons ago I tried it a couple of times and did not even get a nibble. Have seen other try it as well and they made out like I did, not even a nibble.