That's My Story

CHOCOLATE CLAMS!

Published the week of March 3, 2007 in Western Outdoor News

Photo: As you can see, it’s not ALWAYS about fishing! Sometimes the fish don’t bite, but just hanging out in Baja has it’s priceless rewards like our amigo Roy Morita from Modesto, CA who has “assumed the position.”

So, let’s talk about foraging for food in Baja . . .

So there we were. Long day of dragging lures through the water round and round the island. Long day of soaking baits. Who’s the one who wrote the “fishing hot spots” chart, anyway? (Not blaming YOU, Gene Kira!).

But, I don’t care who you talk to or what magazines you read, some days in Baja you just don’t catch fish! At least not anything you’d care to drop in the fish box, let alone put on your table. Sorry, but I’ve just never considered needlefish something to get excited about even though apparently Ray Cannon loved the scaly snakes! Blech…

We had been so certain of catching fish, not only had we bet each other huge sums of cash and beer…OK, 20 bucks and a 6 pack…but we didn’t have anything set up for dinner either. You know what it’s like with us guys. We have every condiment in the ice chest from salsa to salad dressing and mustard to garlic salt and 3 kinds of mayo, but absolutely NOTHING to put it on. Reminds me of my school days with cabinets and drawers stuffed with everything except something to eat.

And now the three of us looked at each other like goofs on the beach. Sitting in our lawn chairs each hoping to be struck be divine inspiration and intervention, we were too far to drive anywhere; too lazy to take initiative; and each hoping the other guy would figure it out. Much like we just hope our wives will suddenly make dinner appear on the table each night! The smashed Oreos and chips in the boat just didn’t sound very appealing.

That’s when Gerardo wandered by. He was a local kid and always there in the afternoons to clean the boat or do other odd jobs for a few bucks. Great kid. We usually invited him to eat with us so we told him of our plight. “No pescado, Gerardo!”

In Spanish, he said, “Why don’t you go get some chocolates?’

Sorry, we don’t want candy.

He explained that if we simply put on our snorkeling gear and swam out to about 6 feet of water, dinner was waiting! He said that chocolates referred to “chocolate clams” that had brown shells. Nothing to do with chocolate. But in the sand, we’d see two little valves sticking out. If we dove down quickly and dug fast with our hands, we’d find los chocolates!

So, with nothing else going on. Out we went. And wow…clams the size of a kid’s fist were there for the taking in the clear warm waters. In about an hour of snorkeling, we had about 100 clams.

Here’s where the fun came in. Out came the barbecue grill only feet from the water. Beach chairs ringside. Fire on! Get those coals going! Beer on ice! Popping each shell open revealed gorgeous succulent orange meat, much like the color of sweet shrimp. With a quick fresh water rinse and a squirt of lime, a New York restaurant would’ve served a dozen of these for a days wages! Half-shell my eye! Incredible!

But the best part was opening them and popping them on the grill. This was Gerardo’s idea. A little squeeze of lime…a little smear of dark roasted chipotle chile…and a tiny dollop of white Mexican ranchero cheese. They would sizzle and bubble and we’d grab them off the grill…go through a juggling act of burned fingertips and suck them into our mouths washed down with a chaser of icy Pacifico. Ahhhhhhh…clam after juicy clam.

And there we sat. The four of us. A window seat at the finest table in Baja. A burning orange and purple Baja sunset. Our toes in the sand. A campfire of Baja gentlemen charter members of the Order of the Sleepless Nights. The music of a warm late spring breeze coming up off the Sea of Cortez going to rest for the day. Slurping and laughing. A stack of empty clam shells rising at our feet. I just hate it when the fish don’t bite!

We’ll be in our booth this week at the Long Beach Convention Center for the Fred Hall Fishing and Boating show Wednesday to Sunday March 7-11. Come by to say hi.

That’s my story. If you ever want to reach me, my e-mail is riplipboy@aol.com.