Fiddle Creek

[H&F909ORO]

Hi All,

Someone told me that this creek located on highway 49 by the tuba river was a good producer for gold. I was told as the person was a kid the would go out using pie pans and pan for gold, usually getting large flakes. This was circa 1960 or so.

Does anyone have any info about fiddle creek? I have researched but have found vague info relating to gold in that area. Any info about this place would be great.

Thanks,
H&F

 

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[Clay Diggins]

I think you meant the Yuba River? Hwy 49 does follow the creek for a good distance. There are several campgrounds through that stretch of 49.

There are a LOT of claims along Fiddle creek, many of them going back to the 1930's. I would suggest you do your research before panning anywhere in that area. Folks up there take their mineral rights seriously, it is theft to pan another man's claim.

I'll dig through my library and see if I can't find a good source of information on the gold there. If you would like to search the internet a good search phrase to use would be "fiddle creek complex California gold" or for an overview search for "Bull108_8".

Heavy Pans

 

[KevinInColorado]

Could he try his hand at the Fiddle Creek Campground or similar...maybe some of the river is unclaimable??

 

[rodoconnor]

H&F , doing your due diligence you just might find a claim or two that has lapsed and is now public domain. Stranger things have happened. Best of luck

 

[Clay Diggins]

Could he try his hand at the Fiddle Creek Campground or similar...maybe some of the river is unclaimable??

I really don't know Kevin. The original post didn't specify the area beyond mentioning Fiddle Creek and HWY 49. That's a big area.

Many of the claims there predate the campgrounds so they would still be off limits. As always the prospector will have to do the research before prospecting. There is no "right" for casual prospectors to use mineral claims just because there are types of recreation allowed there.

I did find out a little about that area. There are known placers there as well as lodes. Much of the area was patented as mineral claims.

The California Gold Production Syndicate Mines operated the lodes there originally and then the St Charles Hill mine did more mining on the Cleaveland and Kentucky mines there. There are historical drift mines as well as true lodes.

Heavy Pans

 

[H&F909ORO]

Thanks for the information Clay. I was only told about Fiddle Creek and only had that to go off of. I don't know much information about it. I will try researching some more about it. Are the claims marked or is it common to see unmarked claims?

 

[Clay Diggins]

Claims are sometimes marked but there is no requirement that they be marked. Often claim owners mark their claims only to have the markers torn down. From what I have heard maintaining markers in California is difficult because they are so often destroyed.

Even if markers were required you would need to know where to look for them. The odds of finding a corner marker on a 160 acre claim just by looking around is almost zero. That's why the law says you must know the land status before you enter the land to prospect. It's just one of the skills prospectors must learn to be successful.

Heavy Pans

 

[KevinInColorado]

Thanks for the information Clay. I was only told about Fiddle Creek and only had that to go off of. I don't know much information about it. I will try researching some more about it. Are the claims marked or is it common to see unmarked claims?

unmarked is the norm in CA and fairly common elsewhere. You still need to avoid digging on a claim which lacks markings of course.

 

[russau]

Ive seen lots of vandalized claim markers and Ive got a suggestion for them. when laying out and installing them use your GPS and plot its location AND take a picture of them when done installing them and make copys of what you have and turn them in with your yearly paperwork for proof of their date and installation to the correct agency. If done correctly , this will help you if there are any squabbles over your claim!

 

[Hoser John]

They tear'm down and I ALWAYS put'm right back up. Make your own for under a buck and then no excuses as golly gee wiz I didn't know bs-John

 

[fowledup]

Fiddle Creek, and the Yuba are both claimed at the campground and enforced. Valley prospectors has the claim at Indian Valley campground just down the road a mile or so. Contact them, or better yet for a very reasonable fee join them as they have a few claims up and down the Yuba.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Good info, thanks! ^^^