Prince of Whales Island

[Goldschlager]

I am going there for a fishing trip in August. Been looking for info about gold there and finally found out there is gold in the harris river. This was just word of mouth but now I am not sure if I will be fishing or prospecting.

The sea gives up white gold in the form of halibut flesh and the river might give up some yeller gold. I will be like a blind dyke in a fish market. Staying at salmon shores but the harris river isnt far.


http://www.salmonshores.com/



http://www.fs.fed.us/outernet/r10/tonga ... r_cg.shtml

[alaskaflounder]

I lived in SE Alaska for many years and really didn't hear much about any gold mining in the area. Would stick to the fishing.

[1bajaboy]

Goldschlager, There is gold there! My family had a claim there in the 1885-1887. My great grandfather was on a Naval mission there to survey for the USGS and why he was standing around he had some of the crew pan the creeks and they must have found something because there is a Niblack Mine on the southeast corner. He was a Admiral in the US Navy when they sailed Square Riggers around the tip of south America. Thats the story of Admiral Albert P. Niblack he had a ship named after him that saw action in WW II. It was long after he died I love sailing and gold prospecting must be in the blood! Have a great trip my, brother says the fishing is good all around Ketchikan area...........Bradley L. Niblack

[AU79]

There is a fair amount of gold here in Southeast, since the geology includes lots of granite intrusions into ancient sea floor, however there has also been a lot of glaciation so not much in the way placer deposits. The main gold belt is in the Juneau area and that is your best bet for placers, otherwise it is mostly a hard-rock showing. I'm in Sitka here and we do have gold - mostly east of town, but again mostly hard-rock. Most drainages have some placer but what you do find is pretty fine - just a showing. I haven't found my quartz specimen yet, but its fun to poke around! The fishing is always good!

Here is a link to the minerals of Prince of Wales, it should give you some idea what and were to look. (geologic study 5MB PDF file) http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ak/jrmic/usbm_rpts.Par.88520.File.tmp/OFR_81-92.pdf. I'm headed up to Chicken soon - thats proven placer country there! Check out Chicken Gold Camp sometime!! Anyway best of luck! Had fresh halibut last night - yum!! Nothing wrong with mining the sea.

[Goldschlager]

AU78, thank you very much for the link. I looked for info and didn't find any. Ant tips on butts up there? Plan is black label herring until we get some salmon then its salmon bellies and heads. Oh also shrimping. Plan on halibut heads and cat food unless you got some other ideas.

Again thanks a million for the link.

[AU79]

Goldschlager, Glad you found the link useful. Most of my fishing up here is commercial, using herring, squid (holds on the hook the best) or salmon for bait. When sport fishing, my favorite is to drop a 4 to 16 oz lead-head jig with a big white twin twisty tail grub (tipped with herring) in 10 to 20 fathoms of water (60 to 120 feet), though lots of guys around here go much deeper. I like to work the points or the mouth of a salmon stream. You can find 100+ pound halibut in 20 feet of water when the salmon are running up the creeks! Wild ride hooking them in the shallows!! Best of luck on your trip, Steve.

[Stowaway]

Troy, this is a trip some of us dream to take. Enjoy your time and hopefully you find yourself a little chrome and some gold!