RIVER OR STREAM????

[mattisdell1983]

Hey guys, just curious... do you prospect in a river or a stream and/or tributary? I am brand new at this and it seems like the very small stream has yealded 2 specs of flour gold but when i go to the "gold rich" river I find nothing. Do you guys have any pics of where you would normally prospect? Still photos of a stream and point to where the gold is most likely to be? Thanks for the help, Matt

p.s. I have been studying how to read rivers and streams but I have a hard time trying to picture what it would look like at flood level lol. here are some pics i took from where i was digging (behind the big rock) (and on the bank), Your input on where it looks good to prospect in these pictures would be greatly appreciated though, thanks.

 

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[Hoser John]

Gold miners make the bedrock ,be it lake,river,stream that's where 95% of the work has been done for you by good ol'mother nature by concentration-tons a au 2 u 2 -John

 

[TheHarleyMan2]

The big rock is promising on finding gold directly behind it as an eddy would be formed by the river flow current. One way to look at where maybe the flood stage is to look at both sides of the bank and look for evidence that water has risen to that level. Generally look for small downed trees, foilage, etc that would show signs of being knocked down by the force of water.

The gravel bar will show some flour gold, specs, and maybe some small flat flakes. Find a spot in the gravel bar, and dig down to about a foot to 2 feet and pan or process the sands and gravel and you should find some gold providing you are in a gold producing area. If you find some gold the sand/gravel bar would be a good place to recover some gold. Being there is a lot of river rocks and sand in the gravel bar, the rocks will also help in stopping any flood gold, or flat specs that may have traveled in the river.

Look for bigger rocks in the river bed nad look where maybe the current will form an eddy where gold and be flushed in. The banks are ok IF you know where the gold is coming from, but chances are you won't find much to hardly any.

Do you have any other pictures of the area at different angles where some maybe better to offer better suitable places for you to dig?

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Goodyguy]

Dig deep ....and then dig deeper ......keep digging till you hit bottom... that's where the big gold is! The fine flood gold will be in-between
It's a lot of work, that's why prospectors prefer a dredge to let the nozzle do the digging, (plus the bottom of the river is closer to bedrock) it's still work but not as hard on the back.

Just after the inside bend is usually a good spot to start.

Water travels faster in a river, the gold will drop out at a wide spot after a bend but it will be deeper than in a slower moving stream. Hard to find the fine gold in a river because the river moves so much more material that even the fines get buried fairly deep.

The large boulder on the sand bar could have recently come from up river during a flood. You would be surprised how much power flood water has. Although that boulder doesn't look to have traveled too far due to it's angularity. Look a lot higher up past the bank for an ancient gravel bench near large boulders and try there.

That's what prospecting is all about, digging and more digging, sooner or later you get the hang of where gold likes to hide.
Dredging is the way to go but gold can be found out of the water, just not as easily.

Do you really want to learn about finding gold and knock years off the learning curve?
Then you should read every page of Lanny's thread..... "Bedrock and Gold the Mysteries": http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/metal-detecting-gold/69-bedrock-gold-mysteries.html



GG~

 

[NuggetN8]

I prospect mostly in small creeks that don't have too much overburden and are for the most part already down the bedrock. In the pictures that you have there I don't see any bedrock at all. I would suggest either finding a part of that river where the bedrock is exposed or digging down until you hit it. Also, if you decide to prospect in small creeks like I do, than you should get some tweezers, a viewing glass, sniffer bottle and a hand dredge and learn how to snipe for gold. Sniping is my favorite method because you don't have to dig to get to the gold you just wave away the gravel with your hand and pick up the gold! =) I usually get 1-2 grams in a 4-5 hour trip. As for the stream/river reading, I studied that for a while and tried using it when prospecting and from what I've experienced, gold is not always where the book says it should be. "Gold is where you find it." Good luck! -N8

 

[Hickory1]

Inside bend of a gravel or sand bar on river or stream....any clay on the sides of the stream or river are good places to look....it takes a bit to learn how to read where under flooding or a more ancient stream bed is, I suggest Amazon. com who has tons of books on reading rivers and how to search for old river beds, etc., It's not a easy thing to do so don't be frustrated...all of this, prospecting, takes time to master....this would explain why everyone isn't doing it; patience they lack and/or no want of the research required to succeed. That would be like trying to learn tennis by just going onto the court and hitting a ball.....My best to you in your searches! Also on You Tube, there is videos of how to find where ancient or old river beds are...it shows plants to look for, etc., take a looksee at this and then apply it. One thing I like about prospectors is they are not afraid to swap tips on how to get to the gold; now where the gold is is another story for great reason!