The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation reopened Three Mile Harbor, Hog Creek, and Accabonac Harbor to shellfishing as of sunrise last Thursday, after heavy rains and storm runoff forced their closure between Oct. 2 and 5.
For East Hampton Town residents, the reopening meant that a search for the largest clam in each of those water bodies, for entry in the town trustees’ 32nd annual Largest Clam Contest, could resume. The contest, held on Oct. 9, remains a cliffhanger, as only the largest clam harvested from Napeague Harbor was crowned that day. Susan Ceslow harvested the winning entry for that harbor, with a 2.71-pound behemoth.
Those planning to enter a clam harvested from Three Mile Harbor, Hog Creek, or Accabonac Harbor have been asked to take their entry to the trustees’ office at the Lamb Building on Bluff Road in Amagansett no later than 4 p.m. Friday. The entries will be weighed and the winning clams for each waterway, as well as the overall winner, will be crowned at 5 p.m.
Even without the crowning of the big winner, the contest was “a huge success,” Ben Dollinger of the trustees said at that body’s meeting on Friday. “I’m surprised we had as many clams as we did,” given the three waterways’ closure to shellfishing in the days preceding the contest. Hundreds of residents and visitors enjoyed free clams on the half shell, clam chowder, and clam pies. The event also featured a clam chowder contest, exhibits by the town’s shellfish hatchery and the East End Classic Boat Society, and live music.
Jim Sullivan’s New England chowder was deemed the best at the contest, and Davis Tobin and Elle Tobin won in the junior division for the clams they entered from Lake Montauk and Napeague Harbor, respectively. There was no adult entrant for Lake Montauk.
