The Clamdigger (Part 2)

by Lee Wilbur

Lee Wilbur photo

I asked Richard “Rat” Taylor, as he's known to just about everyone on Mount Desert Island, why he likes to dig clams. Why at age 58 he’s still working as hard as he does.

He smiles. “I just love it. Love the solitude, the challenge. Just being out there on a clear full moon in early evening or before daybreak is something very few people would ever know. I love the excitement of finding a hot spot. Place that hasn’t been dug for years just loaded with big beautiful clams and I’ve got it all to myself. Another thing is the wildlife. Get to see all kinds. Eagles, Osprey, Heron, Deer. I’m alone with them. They know it too. And... (Rat hesitates for a few seconds)... some of it is my uncle’s crack that I’d never be a clamdigger. Still want to prove him wrong.”

“Rat” realized at the last Lottery for clam licenses he attended on Swan’s Island that it was time to find a new area. There were 38 diggers there that morning, all waiting in line to draw a number. Time to move on. He decided to take a hard look at “The Pool,” that large protected body of water on Cranberry Island, majority of which drains out to clam flats at low tide. The Pool had been worked over hard for 5-6 years. Young kids had made good summer money digging. Professional diggers came off with boats loaded to the gunnels. The area which supplied the Clam canneries at the turn of the century had come back.

“The Pool’s a hellhole to get into. Have to walk and haul your gear a long ways. But, (he says with a grin), They was all shore diggers. I went to the mud and the clams were still there. Dug for seven years. Beautiful clams. I’m going back someday. I can feel em’ calling me again.”

“One of my best memories of digging in the pool was Wendall Reed and his wife Rosemary. They stayed out there in an old lapstrake cruiser and dug clams. Wendall only had one good arm if you remember. Even with the one arm he’d still pull two bushel a tide. He saw me digging in some eel grass one time with a lot of mushy gravel using a six tong rake. Rake wouldn’t work well. Too many teeth. Wendall brought me a five tong with wider tongs. This rake would roll over 20-30 clams in a pull. More’n I’ve ever seen in my life. They was just hiding in that eel grass. Brought me several different rakes the years we dug out there.”

When it finally became a problem or became more complicated to dig on Cranberry, Rat moved on. In his own words “followed a rainbow” to Skillings River, or Eastern Bay, then in a few years over to Trenton area and Western Bay where he pulls clams now.

A few years ago, after Connie had been replaced in her job managing a greenhouse and nursery business (which folded soon after), and Rat was stuck with 200# of clams and Labor Day coming up, Connie said to Rat, “The hell with them. Let’s start a clamshop here. I’m going to put up some signs” Rat didn’t have a thing to say. In fact he doesn’t argue much with Connie when her mind’s made up. She took some old white painted plywood and painted in black letters “Clams” out on the highway. That was it. “Clams” with an arrow pointed up the long driveway and a few more along the driveway with arrows so people wouldn’t get discouraged or think it really wasn’t for real. It worked. People came for clams. Hunters loaded up for Fall hunting trip and Tourists bought on there way home for friends and families as a taste of Maine. They were in business. Next year in the same “motif” Connie added the digger’s name “RAT’S CLAMS” and added “MUSSELS”, “CHERRYSTONES.” Now this year “LOBSTERS.” Only in red letters this time.

Rat says, “At first I was concerned about the “Rat’s Clams” part of it, thought people might be put off by it (as I was at first). And quite honestly it’s been interesting. We’ve had College of The Atlantic students stop in wondering if this was some undiscovered species of clams. Asians come looking to buy rats. Kids with parents came in to see this big rat. And, some have said they were a bit put off by it. But it’s OK now. We have plenty of repeat customers like yourself and I’ve got all I can do to keep five refrigerators full. What more can a man ask for?

Measure of payment has changed since Rat began digging clams as have the prices. A bushel has come down from 60 lbs. To 50 and instead of a customer asking for a peck, or _ peck it’s all by the pound. I liked it better the old way. For some reason paying $2.50/lb. seems a deal more expensive than the entire price up front.

We talked about the fixed expenses of clamdigging and musseling.

“Well,” He said, “There again it’s kind of strange. My mussel license for “handpicked mussels” is $153/yr. A mussel dragger pays just a few dollars more and they can bring in thousands of pounds a year more than I can. Clam license is $150 but I have to pay a separate fee for each town I dig in where a wormer pays $53 and can dig anywhere in the State. And, most of the towns now have a lottery system where you might have to wait in line to get a ticket or be first in line to get one of a limited number of licenses. One year I waited for two days and nights in line at Bar Harbor before the 4th of July. It’s my livelihood. What can I do?”

“There’s a six town coalition now around Eastern and Western Bay which makes it pretty good and I lucked out this year. License is $600. Town of Bar Harbor is $100. Quahog license will often cost $300. On top of all this I’ve got mooring fees, Boat registration, gas, maintenance, and vehicle costs. Then I’ve got the licenses here for the clam shop.”

Rat chuckled as he said, “Fellers got to roll a few clams just to get up and over the costs before he can turn a fresh dollar.”

Added to the expenses of Rat’s chosen occupation are those “other” costs such as down time from “Red Tide” and extensive fresh water runoff from rain that close the flats. There’s no health care plan if he or his family get sick or have an accident, no pension plan for old age. He and Connie are on their own. I have a feeling they wouldn’t want it any other way.

RECIPE: In the course of finding the PERFECT Rhubarb Pie recipe this summer (To be shared next Spring) I found on the same page what looks to be the perfect Pumpkin Pie recipe so thought I would send this along now so you can try it before the holiday season comes rolling down on us.

Pastry for a one crust pie

1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups cooked pumpkin (fresh, canned, or frozen)
1 cup milk
2/3 cup Brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs, well beaten
2 tsp. cinnamon 1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 cup brandy

Combine pumpkin, sugar, spices, and salt in a mixing bowl. Then beat in milk, eggs, cream and brandy with a rotary beater or electric mixer. Pour into an unbaked (cold) pastry shell and bake in a preheated 325 deg. oven for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in center comes out dry. Cool. Serve plain or with cheddar cheese or with whipped cream mixed with ginger (use 1 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger). Let me know what you think on a 1-10 scale. Remember looking for perfection is serious business!!!

Fair winds and good roads.