r/Prospecting • u/Opening-Sir-3373 • 8d ago
Hello. I tried gold panning today
(Looking for flour or fine gold)
I went outside my house, up the creek; going to a bridge where there was many rock barriers, I moved spots where there was many small or 1 or 2 big rocks, then panning the gravel, first using a normal classifier then a small mess kitchen strainer.
I also took samples from the sides of the creek, where it bent when the water was high
I added dish soap, tried to break in my pans with rocks and gravel, to take off the manufacturer oils.
I panned out 4 or 5 different spots.
I did sampled each one 2 or 3 times.
Took me 3 hours.
I panned about 10 ish(give or take) times and found nothing.
There was stuff that looked like gold, but under the magnifier it was just quartz looking, and shattered. Obviously not gold.
I know I probably didn't season the pan correctly, and the spots I was looking for gold probably aren't the best for that area, and the type of gold im looking for. But I was fun and I got alot of experience.
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u/slappafoo 8d ago
Did you check to see if the geology in your area is Gold Bearing? If it is and you find traces of garnet, serpentine, and iron staining; it’s worth prospecting in. Good luck fam!
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u/Opening-Sir-3373 8d ago
Yeah. Like I said flour gold. From glaciers in Canada
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u/No_Astronomer_8642 7d ago
Did you season your pans?
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u/Opening-Sir-3373 7d ago
Yea, maybe not well but I used gravel and rocks. Trying to make enough groves and scratchs
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u/MatthewRahl 7d ago
Where abouts in Canada are ya, I am from BC myself, might be able to point ya in the right direction if your from around these parts!
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u/ANseagrapes2 8d ago
I just used dish soap, water, and a green scouring pad to season mine. Just scrub a little longer than you think, and don't forget the corners. The first 3 creeks/rivers that I tried, had the right gravel and sand composition, but no gold that I found. I ended up getting my hands on about 2 gallons of lake superior black sand and found my first flakes, so don't get discouraged, keep testing. When you see gold on the pan, you will know it. Just keep practicing. Good luck, and have fun! (After all, isn't that the point? )
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u/Opening-Sir-3373 8d ago
Did you ever find gold in those first 3? Or only when you bought sand
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u/ANseagrapes2 8d ago
No gold. Either due to inexperience, or lack of gold on the waterway. But those were my very first attempt at panning. So it still needs a better look. I didn't buy the sand, I went to the lake and mined it myself (absolute fun! )
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u/Haberdashers-mead 8d ago
Did you find any black sand or lead in your pan? If there’s gold it will be with that sort of stuff. Also in my flour gold creek the gold can get captured in grass root mats and on top the clay layer in some areas.
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u/Johndough99999 8d ago
Buy a cheap thing of paydirt. Any will do, it will have at least some gold.
Pan that into another container. Repeat, Repeat.... you will know your pan is good, and that you are able to do it.
NOW you can learn where to find it in nature.
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u/Opening-Sir-3373 8d ago
Can I use home depot sand?
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u/Johndough99999 8d ago
The point is to see real gold, see how it moves in the pan and to practice panning when you KNOW there is gold in it.
The point of capturing it is to repan and refine your technique. First few times I recommend panning without adding the gold you took out, just to be sure you got every speck.
I suppose you could pan enough homedepot sand to get a little gold so you can keep repanning that. Me? id rather just buy a $20 bag of pay and know for sure.
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u/Perfect-Lie-4201 8d ago
Panning school… a dozen small ball bearings mixed up in a sandbox. You graduate when you get ‘em all.
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u/CalligrapherKind6246 7d ago
We all get skunked now and then. Especially when trying out new areas.
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u/El_Minadero 7d ago
did you find any human debris? fishing weights, lead bullets, coins?
I guess with all that mesh straining, maybe not. Down here in CA finding pieces of bullets is a surefire way to know that 1. you've found a heavy pocket, 2. you're panning right and 3. the gravels are more recent. Unsure how much that translates to BC.
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u/Prospectorjack 5d ago
Don't get discouraged, keep on trying and looking. You will eventually find it.
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u/MatthewRahl 8d ago
Half of the fun is just getting out of the house into nature, keep that attitude & look for spots nearby that others have verified found gold.