The black rubber washboard at the top of my store-bought sluice got unglued, so I re-engineered it a little and tried it out in the creek. We have flood conditions with a good water flow, definitely high water in the swamp right now.
I went upstream from where I have my sluice and dug on the inside of a sharp bend. There were a lot of larger rocks near the surface, and the soil was like cement, very hard to penetrate and dig with the post hole digger. The sand was larger-grained and more granular than my other spot.
I ran a half bucket through the sluice and panned the last scoops at the bottom. I recovered 3 flakes and more pieces of gold-bearing quartz to add to my vials. I'll be running another half bucket before I clean out the sluice and see how many flakes I get out of a full bucket of creek sand.
Next, I'll be assembling a walk-in kit for the up coming treasure hunt. I will find another section of stream and run through the whole process like I was out in the field. I'll make a list of equipment after that experiment and let you know what I found most useful.
ETA: I saw two different types of minnows. One was about an inch and then a larger one, about three inches, was in there. My guess is sticklebacks or mud minnows and chubs, I'll probable stretch a net and find out for sure. I still want to go upstream and catch one of those bigger fish in the pond the neighbors dug on the stream (illegally I might add). I suspect they are rainbow or brook trout, they didn't look like carp, and nothing like catfish, torpedo shaped and about two feet long. If they catch me straying off the reservation, I will politely explain that if they call the cops, I'll have to call the DNR or who ever oversees the local watershed, then turn them in for their illegal pond and the tell them about the irrigation they use it for.
I went upstream from where I have my sluice and dug on the inside of a sharp bend. There were a lot of larger rocks near the surface, and the soil was like cement, very hard to penetrate and dig with the post hole digger. The sand was larger-grained and more granular than my other spot.
I ran a half bucket through the sluice and panned the last scoops at the bottom. I recovered 3 flakes and more pieces of gold-bearing quartz to add to my vials. I'll be running another half bucket before I clean out the sluice and see how many flakes I get out of a full bucket of creek sand.
Next, I'll be assembling a walk-in kit for the up coming treasure hunt. I will find another section of stream and run through the whole process like I was out in the field. I'll make a list of equipment after that experiment and let you know what I found most useful.
ETA: I saw two different types of minnows. One was about an inch and then a larger one, about three inches, was in there. My guess is sticklebacks or mud minnows and chubs, I'll probable stretch a net and find out for sure. I still want to go upstream and catch one of those bigger fish in the pond the neighbors dug on the stream (illegally I might add). I suspect they are rainbow or brook trout, they didn't look like carp, and nothing like catfish, torpedo shaped and about two feet long. If they catch me straying off the reservation, I will politely explain that if they call the cops, I'll have to call the DNR or who ever oversees the local watershed, then turn them in for their illegal pond and the tell them about the irrigation they use it for.
A trail goes two ways and looks different in each direction - There is no such thing as a timid woodland creature - Whatever does not kill you leaves you a survivor - Jesus is NOT a bad word - MSB