Only fine gold

[Mollongghip]

Still fairly new to this game and after a few outings I've gathered a nice little vial however only a few small pickers.
If I am successfully finding gold small enough that I could squeeze ten flecks onto a full stop am I safe in assuming I am not pitching the bigger stuff with bag technique?
I have a good size collection of lead shot and airgun pellets but only one piece of gold of comparable size
Am I just in poor mans diggings?

 

[Guest]

I would say your pretty safe in the way your panning.

 

[nucopia]

Sound like your off to a hood start if you are catching the very fine gold your panning technic is getting results.
The next step is learning to read the envoroment and find the places the bigger gold is hiding.
That takes time end experience and a whole lot of learning.
Great your on the PA forum as this place has many experienced contributors and tips to learn from and people willing to help a new chum learn.

 

[Mollongghip]

Thanks for the words of encouragement.
Was pretty happy with the results but had a nagging doubt, by my own reasoning I figured fine gold in the pan means I wasn't likely to be pitching out bigger bits. Glad to hear my reasoning was on track.
Rain starting to fall so will be able to head out and get a better idea of how the creek behaves when in flow rather than trying to read rocks

Been having fun both on my pat and out with my son so all in all it's been great so far, the gold is a bonus

 

[Mollongghip]

Some of the gold from our first day out

 

[davidwrunner2]

Well done fellow noob - you are doing better than me.

I get home and my specks are so small I lose them in my snuff bottle. Then I have trouble identifying gold specks and coloured sands.

My answer last time was to pour the whole thing onto a dinner plate and then with a magnifying glass pick out the gold bits and transfer to a vial.

Well meaning spouse did the dishes in between and my specks went down the sink!

 

[davent]

That's coarse gold by my standards mate. Well done.
Old prospector up here reckons that gold near the source is always fine here.

 

[Heatho]

Yep that is chunky gold, fine gold is like flour. Well done.

 

[bazxa]

Looks coarse to me too. well done

 

[ozziii]

Nice bit of gold but I wouldn't call in fine though, some good bits there, pretty good for your 1st day out, keep digging that area.
Some of my fine gold is that small I don't know how I got it, its like fine dust when I shake the vile then settles reasonably fast.

 

[Maltisau]

You are doing well mate. Some nice chunkies there.
You are on the right track.
Next time I see you I'll walk the creek with you and point out a few likely spots. There's still plenty of gold around if you are prepared to dig deeper than the last guy.
I like finding lead shot in the pan, there's usually nice gold with it and it indicates you are probably digging in a good spot.

 

[Mollongghip]

Thanks guys, so maybe I've over guesstimated what fine gold is
Lots more water since last I saw you Maltisau, most of the section near the bridge is now deep enough to pan in and there is definite movement in the stream
Will post up a few shots in show'n'tell now I've figured out how to shrink my photos to forum sized

 

[kawman]

the gold could still be in the s bend under the sink.. hmmm... sink banker...

Well done fellow noob - you are doing better than me.

I get home and my specks are so small I lose them in my snuff bottle. Then I have trouble identifying gold specks and coloured sands.

My answer last time was to pour the whole thing onto a dinner plate and then with a magnifying glass pick out the gold bits and transfer to a vial.

Well meaning spouse did the dishes in between and my specks went down the sink!

 

[jamie]

the old gold down the sink problem hey... i had a similar thing with a stainless ashtray i use to dry my fine gold, it was sitting on the bench with blacksand and gold in it, i was at work came home and had my partner have a go at me for leaving my dirty ashtray in the house ( i dont smoke inside and have never taken a ashtray inside) and then proceed to tell me that she washed it and put it back outside.... she felt bad when i said that ashtray is for gold only and not ash, but she was happy to get me beer for the rest of the night lol

that is some great small gold mate, please make sure you get back there and find the rest of it

 

[Mollongghip]

Re: the plate trick
Please notice the white backdrop I do the same, chase off the stray rubbish with a dressmaker's pin then put away the gold

Realised that there is gold on the five cent in the pic so not the exactly the pic I thought I was putting up, to be totally honest that is after two or three hits.
The gold on the white was day one, needless to say I caught the fever. Not all days have been as good or the gold as chunky.

Cheers
(Post 10,hooray!!! now I can like a few posts along the way)

 

[Eski]

Hi Mollongghip, are you picking that up locally? looks like source must be nearby... I panned some from Lerderderg area and was brighter and smooth...

 

[Eski]

I assume you are in Mollonghip...

a mate of mine stays at the old fireshed...

 

[Mollongghip]

Hey Eski,
I'm just down the road in the forest( from the fire shed that is)
Always good to hear from someone who recognises home, not too many know where Mollongghip is.

All local-ish Daylesford gold, handy to access when I've got a spare hour or two between kid pickups and work etc

 

[Mollongghip]

So tell me, are you guys getting smaller gear than this? That's a pin point beside for reference.
Sorry about the fuzzy shot, phone camera & 30x glass in combination
This is about the limit of my eyes so if it's not fine gold then even if it's in the pan I ain't getting it

 

[davent]

Mate, thats not fine gold in my books.
Do a google search on fine gold, or flour gold.