Lode Search in a Stream

Streams that are slow moving are able to grind and smooth gold particles for a good amount of time before it is moved any sort of considerable distance and can leave them rounded while still remaining nearby their source. On the other hand, little bits of gold or ore can be carried a great distance from their starting point or source when there are floods because they are usually deposited deep and are never smoothed again until they are found by a prospector.

These are two rules that are good to know about and remember that the size and angle should be taken into consideration when you are planning a lode search. Obviously you will be a lot more successful if you are sure of taking all the exceptions into account as well when making a search.

If you just so happen to find float in a moving stream, gulley or wash, or if you found it in a stream placer, the will turn into the first starting point to locate the real starting point. In this type of occasion the first search would start upstream and then the procedures that were pointed out previously on placer prospecting would need to be done. The exemption to standard placer prospecting is that this is a search signal and not pocket placers. In most cases lode prospectors will not stop to clean out a placer unless the placer is very rich and cannot be passed up.

If there is moving water in the stream the search is done with a pan or can also be done with a small dredge. This makes the ordeal easier for the prospector because there will not be so much to carry and it also saves time, as it will not take as much time to set up in order to test a spot that looks promising.