Clear all the sand from around the base to see exactly how firm the byssal foot is attached. If it's stuck down good then carefully and slowly wiggle the clam until the foot's fibres become more visible. Take a sharp knife and attempt to manoeuvre the blade underneath the clam carefully cutting the byssal fibres as far are from the clam's body as possible.
This will take a fair bit of time and effort. It is also quite stressful on the clam. Hopefully, it won't be so stressed as to drop the byssal gland entirely. DO NOT simply yank and rip the clam out.
In the future, if you place the clam on a small piece of LR or better yet, mould some epoxy onto the clam's bottom (allowing it to harden separately) you'll have a much easier time moving the clam around.
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