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October 5, 1989 - Sept. Song: I Can See C-C-Clearly Now014 The Suffolk Times • October 5, 1989 Se t. Song,x I Can p See C=C=C1'ear1y Now By Paul Stoutenburgh scallops benefits everyone cleaners of the bottom cleani;n d September slipped by during one of those perfect fall days, so perfect that there seemed to be an inner urge to do something. In olden days that urge would have been taken up with harvest- ing the crops for winter but today the supermarket has pretty well taken its place. Yet that mysterious urge to do something still stirs in most of us. Since the weather was so cooperative I thought the best place to be was out on the bay. I'd take a diving jacket, snorkel and mask and look for clams underwater. By now the bay water is a bit cool for swimming, a short dip is fine but any length of time you really need some protection from the cold. I could probably do much better with a clam rake but I'm fascinated by what I see down below. Perhaps that's one rea- son I don't do so well, I'm more inter- ested in what's about than looking for signs of clams. A short drive to the boat and I was in the water while Barbara headed out to the boat where I'd meet her later. How clear the water was. What a change from the brown tide of the past three years. The tide was about three quarters full and still rising, not the best for clamming. Nevertheless, in I went, taking a gasping breath as the cold hit everything that wasn't covered by the diving jacket. I thought to myself I must be crazy to be doing this. It's fine on a warm summer's day but this Octo- ber day was far from balmy. Slowly my body got used to the cold and I started to relax and enjoy the underwater panorama that spread out before me. This was a stony beach with sandy stretches further out. Boat Shells Everywhere Everywhere on every rock, shell, bot- tle or debris there were clusters of com- mon boat shells (quarter decks or slipper shells). Now if they were only as big as clams I'd have it made. Boat shells are very common on our East End. Few people realize how good they are to eat. Many's the time I've pried these off a rock and taken the meat out for young people when on a beach walk. Once they get through the initial tasting they soon come back for more. One of the more interesting aspects of the boat shell is that they often cling piggyback, sometimes reaching a height of six or more piled on top of one an- other. They do not move as most snails do but remain on their host where their shell becomes a seal against predators. Focus on Mature They have the strange ability to change sex whenever one is displaced or added to the pile. I spotted a large channel whelk half - submerged in the bottom. Sometimes by digging under them you can get a clam if they haven't already eaten it. At one time conchs were considered worth- less predators and a real threat to the shellfish industry but today they are part of that industry and traps are set for them. Here is a case where the bayman profits from the catch, and the removal of the conch predators on clams and Every once in a while I'd see a small fish scoot under a rock or clam shell. I'd seen these fellows before and realized what they were; we had captured some in a seine for identification years ago. They were the progeny of the big, ugly toadfish that lie in the mouth of old cans and bottles, that work their way under a rock or submerged log. There they lie in wait till some unsuspecting fish or crab comes by and then with one big gulp it disappears. It's one fish that few like to handle for its big mouth and slimy feel are just too repulsive. All about the bottom were mud snails, those small black snails you see almost anywhere in the bays or creeks of our East End. They are the vacuum Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh BOAT OR SLIPPER SHELLS —Among the m ost common shellfish we have on the East End are these prolific, limpet -like snails. 1"El L . IN THE BEST CHINESE FOOD ON THE NORTH FORK Scallops with Steak Wor Bar Scallops saute6d with thickly sliced beef and selected vegetables in our special sauce. Luncheon Specials Daily $38b and up Dinner Specials Daily $7S1 and up Includes soup, rice, noodles and tea Entire menu available for take -out Main Road, Southold • 765 -3555 , g up e- bris that filters down from decaying matter of all sorts. Just think of your own house if it was never vacuumed or swept out and you start to appreciate how important these tiny workers are. I almost overlooked the two eyes on Pencil-like stalks that told me a sand or calico crab was hidden below. A push at its hiding place with my rake and it stirred into a fighting rage, claws held high snapping at me whenever I ap- proached it. Ounce for ounce they are the scrappiest of all our crabs. I saw one large, single -claw sand crab all covered with grass. I don't know this to be a fact but I do think this particular crab was on its last stand. Everything has its day and one day all must die. So it was I think with this crab. It had not shed for quite some time for its whole body was covered with sea growth. I've seen these old crabs before at this time of the year. It's nature's way of keeping the species alert and thriving. There is no place for the old and disabled. Flounder Hides Easily A small flounder scurried away as I approached his sunlit sea bottom. It only went a short way and settled down again. With a few flips of its flexible fins it threw a blanket of sand over its body, completely camouflaging it from view. Only two small eyes could I see and then only after close eye- to-eye con- tact. I'd get a few big chowder clams, enough for some of our special baked clams but that's about all. The real en- joyment was in looking into that un- derwater world so few of us really get a chance to look closely at. I was beginning to get cold for now the water had found all the warm parts of my body, making me start to shiver. I swam to the boat moored off shore and climbed aboard the S e a W i n d, promptly taking a freshwater shower waiting for me on deck. These portable plastic showers work great, provided there is enough sun to warm them up. Once stripped of the wet suit and into dry clothes I thought I'd get rid of my shaking but no, I rattled on. We got out two cans of soup and put them on the stove to heat up. That did the trick! And I must say the world looked better and I felt much better. Our day was again ready for a. continuation of our adven- ture. Up went the sails and we spent the rest of the day sailing the waters of our East End. Yes, fall does give you an urge to do something. Ours was clam- ming and sailing. MARINA AND RESTAURANT Main Road, Orient Point (lust west of the orient Ferry) • 323 -2424 HOURS: 11 -9 Fri., Sat., Sun. and Mon. • 11-4 Tues., Wed. and Thurs. Join us on the deck or in our waterfront dining room overlooking the marina and beautiful Gardiner's Bay. Friday Night $ 14 95 Lobster Feast TWIN 1 LB. LOBSTERS NO SHARING Try our Blackboard Specials in addition to our regular menu.