Useful cutting tools and knifes and estuary clam collection

STAY SHARP
A few little additions to your tackle box can make all the difference. Take cutting tools for instance.

I always carry a set of stainless scissors, which are used for cutting crab in halves, sandeels, and shaping fish baits and squid. Get a pair designed for nursing from a good chemist as they last for years. They also come in handy for cutting heavy mono, bait elastic from hooks and cutting bait packets open.

Two types of knives are useful. I carry a proper bait knife, a good quality one than can take fillets of whole fish, plus guts any fish I choose to keep for eating. Good quality knives tend to have strong blades that don't flex easily, will last years and you get a good sheath with them for safe storage.

Effective cutting tools to aid bait presentation

Also useful are a small stainless pair of nail clippers. Having put a groove in one of my teeth over the years from chomping through line (dumb, I know!) I've followed the lead of others and use these for trimming the tag ends off knots and for any cutting of hook snoods to length.

Lastly, domestic supply shops sell neat little cutting boards that are easy to keep clean give you a good base to cut your baits on, but are soft enough not to blunt your knives to quickly. They cost about £2 (try Woolworth's) and have a handgrip for ease of use. These are usually white or blue. Buy the blue, as it looks cleaner longer.

TIPS AND TRICKS
Carol Vickers from Loughborough e-mailed a good tip. She says her husband is always getting his waders full of water. She found a quick way to dry them by putting newspaper inside to draw out most of the moisture then blows hot air from a hairdryer through them.

Don't chuck your old toothbrushes away. They make great scrubbing brushes for getting the sand and accumulated dirt out from around the edges of reel cages, handles, reel seats, gear teeth and bait scissors.

ESTUARY CLAM DIGGING TACTICS

Digging clams in estuaries

Collecting clams is Boys Own stuff. The biggest clams live in the thickest estuary mud banks and tend to be a good foot or more down. You walk over the mud looking for oval blowholes. These will slightly flood water out as your weight on the mud puts pressure on the hole. This skill of spotting clam holes takes a little acquiring, but practice makes it easier.

Once you've found your clam hole, it's down on one knee, roll your sleeves up and with your hand and forearm locked push down deep in the mud. You'll go as deep as your elbow before feeling the clam, and then it's a case of working your fingers around the side and underneath of the clam and pulling it free. Your hands can get cut to ribbons on old buried shells, so be careful.

Don't try to fork clams in this mud as it both creates massive unsightly holes that take ages to heal, but is also very unproductive. The only sure way is to get your hands in the mud. Occasionally when digging blow lug you'll turn over a decent clam, but this is rare on well-used lug beds.

Big clams can be cut in half and bound on to the hook similar to peeler crab. They make a big juicy bait that works especially well in estuary creeks and tight in amongst the surf tables of surf beaches.