Many, many moons ago, I used to frequent my grandparents' beachfront out in Vaughn Bay between Bremerton and Shelton. Out in the bay, there was always an over-abundance of shellfish. We regularly harvested steamer clams, horse clams, goeduck, spider crab, oysters, and mussels. In fact, it was so plentiful that most of the time we considered such morsels scrap, and would use them instead as bait for catching bullhead sculpin, which were basically worthless, but a good way to pass the time.

We seldom worried about red tide, relying on advice from Grandpa whether or not to eat anything we dug up. We were even less concerned with any sort of license requirements, being reckless kids on what was essentially a very isolated beach that had been homesteaded a hundred years earlier by the great-grandparents.

Unfortunately, I no longer visit the beach, and if I were, my concern about red tide would pre-empt any desire to harvest any shellfish there now. It's such a shame, I just didn't realize back then how good I had it.

Back in the day, you could dig a hole in the mud 3 feet in diameter and 18" deep and literally harvest 12 dozen steamer clams.

I am very skeptical about harvesting and eating any shellfish nowadays. Unless it's been tested, I no longer consider it safe. I've seen one too many cases of paralytic poisoning to ever want to take the chance.

I don't eat foogoo either, for much the same reason.