Figure 1. — Raking and tonging for surf clams from a dory in shallow water depths. 



ing the catch. The blade scooped into the 

 bottom to a depth of 6.5 to 9 inches. The so- 

 called "Sheepshead Bay" dredge had a more 

 or less straight leading edge to the knife and 

 was adjustable to a desired depth. These 

 dredges were towed by a rope, usually fastened 

 to a special stanchion, and were hauled aboard 

 either by a towing rope or by an additional 

 steel cable attached to the dredge. Both meth- 



ods used a powered winch (Westman"). No 

 further significant changes were made in the 

 dredges for many years. However, the design 

 of some dredges became slightly modified, e.g., 

 the knife was rounded so that the leading edge 

 became an arc. 



- Westman, J. R. 1946. On the origin, development 

 and status of the surf clam industry, 1943-45. New- 

 York Conservation Department, Bureau of Marine 

 Fisheries. Unpublished manuscript, 10 p. 



