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How to live off the ocean’s bounty when fish refuse to cooperate

Don’t reach for the Rice-a-Roni just because the fish aren’t biting; you’ll find plenty of tasty morsels in the inter-tidal zone. Gooseneck barnacles, crabs, mussels, oysters, clams, limpets and abalone are all options, depending on the location and season. Before you shove off check your local shellfish harvest regulations to learn what’s legal and safe to eat. Closures are common due to water pollution, breeding periods and red tide.

In the Pacific Northwest, Dungeness crab is a favorite. I’ve waded out at low tide to snatch scuttling Dungies in British Columbia’s Queen Charlottes, but if you’re more interested in a meal than a wild crab chase, invest in a couple of inexpensive collapsible star traps.

Place your traps on a sandy/muddy grassy bottom (or a rocky bottom if you’re hunting red crabs) and check them periodically as you fish—unlike conventional crab pots, star traps allow crabs to pass freely in and out. Use the carcass from your fish catch for bait, and any buoyant object for a float. Pack a few dozen feet of rope to retrieve your traps, though a long bow line will serve double duty in a pinch. Steam your crabs in the pot brought just for this purpose.

Bi-valves such as mussels, oysters and clams are among the tastiest critters inhabiting the seashore. Unfortunately, they feed on algae which can carry a deadly neurotoxin. These algae blooms are often called Red Tide, but don’t let that fool you: the toxic algae can be any color, and is usually invisible and impossible to detect without specialized equipment. For these reasons, we generally pass on these fellas.

Instead, try gooseneck barnacles. These rock-clingers have a meaty neck, or siphon tube, that’s delicious when steamed and dredged in butter and tamari (a Japanese condiment similar to soy sauce). Another benefit of barnacles is that you can walk out at low tide to harvest them even when you’re storm-bound. You’ll find barnacles along the tidal interface, not in inside waters.

At the bottom of the ladder is the lowly limpet. When we’re kept ashore for days and want a change from barnacles and Clif bars, we head out looking for limpets. Pop them off their rocks with a knife before they have a chance to clamp down. They’re very tasty when steamed, shelled and smothered in tamari and butter or olive oil, but because of their diminutive size they can make a labor-intensive meal.

--Rob Lyon is an avid expedition sea kayaker who could catch a fish from a kayak with his eyes closed.

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