Spent 6 months digging test pits wrong until a geologist walked by and pointed out my screen was the wrong mesh size

2 comments

2 Comments

Hasn't anyone else ever had that moment where you realize you've been doing something completely wrong for months? I spent three summers panning for gold in a creek that everyone said was played out. Turns out I was using the wrong kind of pan, one of those cheap plastic ones that lets all the fine gold wash right over the riffles. A old timer finally took pity on me and showed me his method, using a green metal pan with deeper riffles and a little bit of jet dry in the water. Suddenly I was finding color everywhere, little flakes and even a couple tiny nuggets. I felt like such an idiot but it was a hell of a lesson in asking for help before you waste months of your life.

william91712d ago

Man that screen mesh thing is a brutal lesson. I've been there with spending way too much time on something only to find out one tiny detail was off the whole time. Once you get the right mesh size you'll be amazed at how much more material you actually keep, it makes a huge difference in what you find. Just make sure you're matching it to the material you're working in, coarse for gravelly stuff and fine for that sandy soil.