Jack Kelly is a lifelong resident of Southold, Long Island, and has witnessed significant changes in the local environment and fishing industry over the years. Born in the late 1940s, he grew up near Gardiners' Island, where he recalls a fort on the North side and the erosion that caused the road to wash away.

On July 10, 2000, Nancy Solomon interviewed Jerry Collins as part of the Long Island Traditions oral history project. Jerry, a lifelong resident of the Sayville area in Bay Shore, often accompanied his father into the bay, beginning his full-time involvement in clamming in 1946, primarily as a tonger. He discusses the significance of facing the elements and perseverance in this line of work and the importance of having a good boat and engine. He explains the methods of tonging and describes the types and sizes of tongs used.

Jim McKearn is an elderly semi-retired fisherman who hails from East Hampton, New York. With a fishing career spanning over several decades, Jim has witnessed firsthand the environmental challenges faced by the fishing industry. Born before World War Two, he has seen the effects of industrial pollution, garbage, and runoff on the local waters. Jim has primarily worked in the areas of Gardeners Bay, East Hampton Bay, and Montauk Point, which are located between the north and south of Gardeners Bay.

On July 15, 2000, Steve Warrick interviewed James Malan “Jim” Rose as part of the Long Island Traditions oral history collection. Rose is a seasoned clammer and gillnetter from Long Island, New York. He was born in Southampton in 1954 and grew up in Blue Point until moving to the East Patchogue area in the 1980s. Rose began his career in clamming at the age of twelve, working part time after school and over the summers. He started out on an old boat that he fixed up himself and learned the art of digging for clams from an experienced friend.

On June 8, 2011, Nancy Solomon interviewed Joe Scavone as part of the Long Island Traditions oral history project. Joe developed a passion for the water early on, often fishing with his father and other local fishermen. Joe recounts his early memories of fishing and clamming, starting with small-scale clamming in rowboats before working on larger boats as a teenager. He discusses his experiences working on clamming boats, handling dredges, shoveling clams, and selling to major buyers and local markets.

On September 27, 2011, Nancy Solomon interviewed Joe Scavone as part of the Long Island Traditions oral history project. Joe, a fisherman from Freeport, recalls how he started fishing as a young child with his father on the weekends, and describes how his mother and grandmother would prepare the fish for family meals. Joe describes his transition into commercial fishing, which began in his teens, when he worked on a gillnet boat. He explains the seasonal cycles of fishing and the various techniques and tools he uses to catch which fish in which season.

It was a living nightmare.  Something I never want to experience again because besides the waters being closed for clamming, you couldn’t even drive through town.  There were boats in the roads everywhere.  It took a couple of weeks for bulldozers to get rid of boats.  There were boats blocking people’s front doors.  Boats that knocked down fences.  it was devastation.  The more you think about it, the more you remember.

On October 1, 1988, Nancy Solomon interviewed John Remsen, Sr. as part of the Long Island Traditions oral history project. John is a skilled boat builder who has dedicated his life to constructing garveys. John's passion for boat building began when he observed other individuals constructing garveys, a type of boat commonly used in shallow waters. In the early days, John primarily used cedar wood for his boats. He would visit mills in New Jersey, particularly New Gretna, to purchase oak.

On November 17, 2003, Nancy Solomon interviewed John Remsen Sr. for an oral history project. John Remsen Sr., born on February 5, 1933, in Freeport, New York, provides a detailed account of his life and work as a bayman, sharing his family's multi-generational involvement in fishing and clamming in the Freeport area. The interview covers Remsen's early introduction to the bay at the age of five, his first experiences with clamming alongside his father, and the evolution of his work on the water.

Retired bayman and boat builder John Remsen shares his memories of storms and hurricanes including Superstorm Sandy in 2012.