• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

Polly Creek Clam Tide

One Sky

Registered User
Anchorage
Me and the Boy are headed to Poly Creek this coming Sunday in the Monster Cub, If anyone is thinking about getting fresh meat in the freezer. Its always good to have more people than yourself down there this early in the flying season.:lol:
 
We plan on going. Wife want to find sand dollars no clams lol. kid and dog will be joining us on the hunt. See ya there.
 
Are you guys beach landing or landing on the clam beds? When's the rendezvous time? Haven't checked the tables yet.

David
 
Low is at around 1020am Im thinking about blasting off of hood strip at 8am. We are parking high on beach, Still need the cub for bear season in May, I don't want to let the inlet take it from me yet. Plus I need of work off some winter wt. N7154Z
 
Low is at around 1020am Im thinking about blasting off of hood strip at 8am. We are parking high on beach, Still need the cub for bear season in May, I don't want to let the inlet take it from me yet. Plus I need of work off some winter wt. N7154Z
So whats the size of the tidal swing?
 
I will probably land on the sand or on the beach just have to dragem to see. wont be hard to find us have guns dog and kid will be making lots of noise and having fun.
 
Sorry we did not make it over to the clam flats. We are heading over on tuesday if all works out.
 
I will be there in 6PD


What a great day at Polly Creek. I have been digging clams there for 45 years and yesterday was a day never to be fogotten. No wind, warm, lots of sun. Left PAMR at 8:30 for the 10:20 low tide, landed on the clam beds. Lots of holes, every hole had a clam, every clam was huge! We filled 4 buckets in 45 minutes. The dig area was 100' from the plane, and only 20'X20'

Best day ever! I normally do not go unless there is at least a -4 tide, yesterday 's tide was -3 today is even better!
 
It was spectacular to say the least. We flew down as well, it was our first time at Polly creek. Were you further south? We were the group of 3 cubs and a r 44.
 
It was spectacular to say the least. We flew down as well, it was our first time at Polly creek. Were you further south? We were the group of 3 cubs and a r 44.

Yes I was south of you. (yellow cub 6PD) Sorry I did not see you, but I was so excited about all the clams running around out there I did not want to waste anytime getting on the ground.
 
Yes I was south of you. (yellow cub 6PD) Sorry I did not see you, but I was so excited about all the clams running around out there I did not want to waste anytime getting on the ground.

Sure would like to pictures of you guys on the beach and of the clams
 
So are you guys actually landing Polly Creek or actually off of Cresent River . I always land off the sand flats at Cresent river. and dig monsterous clams until later in the summer when the commercial clammers wipe them out.
 
My favorite clamming pic is from last Memorial Day. Fun stuff until it's time to clean 'em.

clamming.jpg
 

Attachments

  • clamming.jpg
    clamming.jpg
    58.8 KB · Views: 434
So are you guys actually landing Polly Creek or actually off of Cresent River . I always land off the sand flats at Cresent river. and dig monsterous clams until later in the summer when the commercial clammers wipe them out.

We parked just on the south side of Polly creek, we did not know exactly where to go, so when flew over beach and saw a bunch of clam carcasses i figured we were there.
 
The 3 amigo's headed for the west side clam digger area. Worlds best 150 , A Cub, and the Pacer. I landed on just about every sand bar out from Cresent river and then back to Polly Creek on the beach so the 150 and cub would land. Great day great friends and lots of clams. Wife brought home 6 bags of nice big shells and drift wood for the decorations around the yard.
Tomorrow we will fly down the beach on the Kenai side and see if we can spot the last remains of the Ship Corea. the land on the beach and hunt agates and walk up to the Ninilchik Restaurant for lunch.
Pics to follow
 
Just out of curiosity, and maybe you can educate this Okie. There is a flurry of activity "headin out" to catch some clams. Does this happen all the time, or the best time after the snow and ice is gone. I see a post that you get them before the commercial guys. When is their time? Not that I am headin out, cause its a ways from where I live, and the only clam I like has a beard on it... but just wonderin...
 
Steve, we look for unusually low (minus) tides to expose the clam beds. One popular way to get there is to take boats, most in the 26-28' range, run across the inlet, let the tide go out from under the boats, get out and dig clams until the water returns, then motor back across. It's a popular day trip with offshore fishing guides when the tides are right. The sand is firm enough for airplane ops, too. This is for razor clams, like Kim is holding in the picture above. I find the best digging is on the incoming tide and by then most of the airplane guys are gone. The tide comes in quickly and everyone pays attention to not get stuck too far away from the boat/plane/higher ground when the water returns.

DSC_0584.jpg
 

Attachments

  • DSC_0584.jpg
    DSC_0584.jpg
    903.6 KB · Views: 575
Last edited:
Thanks Stewart,, are these the guys that you better dig quick before they go too deep.. seems like I saw that somewhere....Looks like fun anyway.
 
Yep these little critters are the worlds fastest downhole diggers. I go over anytime of the year when there are minus tides and we can land without running into icebergs. The commercial clammers are mostly lowpaid minorites. several drowned a couple years back from lack of supervision and knowhow. Pretty sad state of affairs for the families.

Now back to the headin out headin in or just headin, we do it all up here. Come on up and we will show you a good time headin over to the clam flats and catchin the worlds fastest downhole diggers. As for anything else you are on your own lol.
 
Beware, some may try to take you on a "snipe" clam hunt.... Just hold that sack like so, and we'll be back by morning.... hahahaha
 
Anybody headed out this Saturday? -3.8 tide at noon.

The wife and I would like to go but we have never been clamming before, and would like to tag along with someone.
 
I hope to be there Saturday. Prop is in the shop getting balanced, supposed to be done tomorrow. If I don't get the prop back and on the plane, I probably won't go. :lol:
 
Planning on a trip to Poly Creek for clams this Friday, a good negative tide at Anchor Point at 10:00 am. any other Cubbies interested in a Friday or Saturday trip?
 
Deetz , where you hangin in Kenai on the weekends? I will not be home until the 4th then there is the whole hang out at the fedex hangar for the weekend thang on the 5-7.
 
Will be in Houston Tx form 30 April the 7th, and then hope to get over for the last day at the FedEx hangar, where I will cash in my winning lottery ticket for that newly rebuilt Bruiser Cub.
 
Back
Top