Gold is especially dense, meaning it will quickly sink to the bottom of the pan. Larger rocks are sorted out, often with the help of a classifying screen, leaving the finer sediment behind.Ĭompletely submerged in water, the sediment is then shuffled around to separate the light and heavy particles. There are various ways to prospect for gold, but the most basic method involves using a shovel to lift sediment from a stream bed and dump it in a pan. But as they start to understand what they’re doing, they do find gold.”Īnd when they find gold, they get hooked, she added. Most people don’t find it their first or maybe even their second time out. It’s not uncommon for prospectors to walk away from a morning of panning with little to show for it, said Rosey Susbury of Byron, a third-generation prospector and the owner of Coos Canyon Rock & Gift.

The club traces its origins back to the 1980s, he said. Mark Folk of Fayette, vice president of Central Maine Gold Prospectors, said club membership is on the rise, with roughly 250 to 300 dues-paying members in Maine and New England. While finding gold in Maine can be tricky, interest in the hobby has grown over the last 10 to 15 years, partly in response to a growing number of prospecting shows like “Gold Rush.” “But if it was easy, the thrill wouldn’t be there.” “It doesn’t compare to California, Nevada or Arizona,” he said.

Hand dredges allowed in maine gold?