Mawddach Greenhorns Galore

Hello Folks, it has been a busy and productive season in North Wales. In one week during September/October I broke into a pay streak in my favourite river and found over half-an-ounce of nuggets and pickers, mainly in the last couple of days. On the bigger river, the Afon Mawddach the public car parks were overflowing with newcomers in their campers. They had all got involved because of the publicity about my 'notorious' dig on the Afon Wen in 2010 - 2011. The oldtimers I met from 2009 are all gone, so the Greenhorns kind of rely on me to advise them which parts of the rivers have been hammered and where to try next.
I have had meetings with the authorities, including a voluntary police interview in September, and I have more or less convinced them that there is no danger to any protected species from our activities on the most popular panning areas. The biggest problem now is littering, and other anti-social behaviour. The authorities have proposed to put height restrictors on the car parks, to exclude the bigger campers and motor homes, but I don't think measure this would deter the type of panners who are turning up now.
A couple of newcomers have helped me move boulders in my excavation, with the reward of some small pickers. One came from Austria.
About two hundred meters upstream from me some local lads have been digging an absolutely massive hole, their dam of boulders diverts even the largest spates.
My camper is in for welding and MoT this week, so hopefully I can get back next weekend.

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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,65773.msg321087.html#msg321087

   Sounds like Progress to me.   MOT ?  LOL, I don't think I've ever owned a vehicle that would pass  if the inspector was cranky in any way.   

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Yeah I know the type mate,

I got a prospecting pick here for you when we do eventually catch up, it's good Steel and built and design all the way from Australia, so it is the real deal.

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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,65773.msg321091.html#msg321091

Hi Folks

Having finally fitted a new radiator fan to my camper I am almost ready to set off for North Wales, but the weather forecast looks bleak, so I may have to delay until early February.
I am intrigued to find out whether other panners have widened my excavation while I have been away since early October, although I suspect they are more likely to have filled it in if anything.
I didn't quite manage to clean up the area of bedrock I exposed, and it would have quickly filled up with leaves, so I hope someone got in there before it got clogged up again.
I am more interested in moving a couple of 3 metre diamater boulders, one is a lovely smooth granite beauty, so any help from Ridge or other visitors would be welcome. The dam which built up naturally around the fallen tree bole should still be there, unless the forestry team removed it. The wildlife police officer and the Natural Wales official haven't been in contact since September when I attended the voluntary interview and answered all their dubious questions under caution. I uncovered official evidence which proves that there is no Atlantic Salmon spawning in that part of the river, but much further up, so there is no risk to salmon eggs. Spring 2018 should be a very interesting season!




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