Le trap or Angus MacKirk sluice

[ezrider2]

Which one do you like or prefer and why? Looking to lose some weight in the backpack and heard great things about both. Those darn aluminium sluices get heavy the older I get! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

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[Jason in Enid]

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[Bonaro]

I own both and feel they both perform exceptionally well. I have not found a significant difference in their ability to catch gold
The Letrap is larger and has more variety in riffle shape and size
The McKirk may be slightly more durable and is less expensive.
Both can be repaired with fiberglass resin or epoxy

you will have to decide which is best for you but you will be happy with either

 

[Hoser John]

Le Trap has been a great piece of equipment for many years,ez to convert to a high banker also. John

 

[jog]

I have used the Le Trap at the beach for catching real fine beach gold, I was amazed at how well it worked.

 

[Lanny in AB]

If you use the light sluices, be sure you have some way to anchor them because they'll float away on you quite easily.

So, if you don't want to pack in a frame, you'll need to find some flat rocks to lay across the top to hold them in place or build a tapered rock trap to set them in so the current won't shoot the sluice downstream with your gold.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[meMiner]

I have not used an Angus, but have a couple Le Traps. Here is one guy's experience.

One thing about the Le Trap as a river sluice is you need to cut off the upper end to allow the water to enter. It broke my heart to do that and I tried it (once) in a stream with the end still on it. The pressure of the water against the top, kept trying to move the sluice on me, even with some large rocks holding it down. Also, I could not get the water flow right so I did a "field amputation".

As a high banker, they are pretty good on small gold and a great way to sample as there are no mats to contaminate from location to location. They like to be run with lots of water and a steeper grade than a regular sluice.

 

[Lanny in AB]

I have not used an Angus, but have a couple Le Traps. Here is one guy's experience.

One thing about the Le Trap as a river sluice is you need to cut off the upper end to allow the water to enter. It broke my heart to do that and I tried it (once) in a stream with the end still on it. The pressure of the water against the top, kept trying to move the sluice on me, even with some large rocks holding it down. Also, I could not get the water flow right so I did a "field amputation".

As a high banker, they are pretty good on small gold and a great way to sample as there are no mats to contaminate from location to location. They like to be run with lots of water and a steeper grade than a regular sluice.

What you say is true. I cut the end off of mine before I ever put it in the water as the dealer I bought it from told me to do so.

It's a great little sluice, and sometimes its lightness is a big pro and other times it's a definite con. On another note, you can't start and stop it like a traditional sluice or you'll blow your heavies right out.

Having said that, I have caught a lot of nice gold with it, but it has a learning curve like any other piece of equipment

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Dgoldman]

I've had two Keene's for about 30 years. One is stock and the other over the years I have modified a little. Both great sluices but too heavy when I hike back in a mile or two. I bought the Le Trap a year ago and love it. I added deep V matting at the mouth and riveted two aluminum cross braces at about the middle for rigidity and to place a cap stone on. It catches an incredible amount of black sand and, I think more gold.

 

[Bonaro]

Here is a McKirk in action at one of my panning classes. It is rigid enough to be used without reinforcement and with a few strategically placed rocks, you can pinch it in and it will stay put. For packing in you may prefer this one because it is significantly smaller than a LeTrap. This is about 3.5 feet long and the Letrap is at least a foot longer and gets hung up a lot when going through brush, especially if you strap it to a pack.
This is my goto sluice for instruction.
To be fair, when I go dredging I always take a LeTrap to concentrate my cleanups. The LeTrap is more fragile but it fits well inside my dredge sluice and I feel it handles the concentrates better.
With any drop riffle molded sluice you must take great care whey you lift it out of the water to prevent it from scouring out. Lift straight up slowly.

 

[ezrider2]

Here is a McKirk in action at one of my panning classes. It is rigid enough to be used without reinforcement and with a few strategically placed rocks, you can pinch it in and it will stay put. For packing in you may prefer this one because it is significantly smaller than a LeTrap. This is about 3.5 feet long and the Letrap is at least a foot longer and gets hung up a lot when going through brush, especially if you strap it to a pack.
This is my goto sluice for instruction.
To be fair, when I go dredging I always take a LeTrap to concentrate my cleanups. The LeTrap is more fragile but it fits well inside my dredge sluice and I feel it handles the concentrates better.
With any drop riffle molded sluice you must take great care whey you lift it out of the water to prevent it from scouring out. Lift straight up slowly.

View attachment 1124321View attachment 1124322View attachment 1124323View attachment 1124324

Thanks for the info! I am looking at the grub steak. I spoke with Angus today and he recommended the Adventurer, Grub Steak, and Explorer (listed in the order to the amount of material each can run, the explorer the highest production). He also spoke very highly of the Le Trap. Everyone keeps referring to the AM as being more durable and not as flimsy and easier to pack in . So that might be the winner.

 

[Reed Lukens]

Here is a McKirk in action at one of my panning classes.

Gosh Dan, you're finally taking panning classes ? Heck the kids have a video on youtube that will show ya how to pan

 

[Lanny in AB]

Gosh Dan, you're finally taking panning classes ? Heck the kids have a video on youtube that will show ya how to pan

Too funny!

 

[russau]

and when using these plastic sluices , not only weigh them down in the stream but install a tether cord to them incase for some reason they decide to float away on you! Ive heard of this happening to some!

 

[Hoser John]

 

[Reed Lukens]

So here it is. There are 2 kinds of LeTrap Sluices
1 - the River Robber has the solid front that is used for Highbankers and such. It does need to be cut off to use as a stream sluice.



2 - The stream Sluice is built for using as a regular sluice. This is what I have had for years.



And it does work good but you have to have a flat bed of gravel to lay it on because it is flexible. So it can be a pain to set up. And then when you finish a bucket, you need to pull it and clean it right then and not leave it in the river because the gold will migrate through it and out the end if given enough time.

So I have had a few of Angus's over the years also and I still use them where the LeTrap because of it's flexibility gets used rarely. I have an old Angus Long Tom that I have been using for years. It's big but it's solid and this is why I prefer Angus over LeTrap. I bought the Recon² last year for Karen and the grand kids and we love it. It's small, light weight, solid and fits into a back pack.

Do I still use my LeTrap? Not really because the Angus is quick and easy.

 

[ezrider2]

So here it is. There are 2 kinds of LeTrap Sluices
1 - the River Robber has the solid front that is used for Highbankers and such. It does need to be cut off to use as a stream sluice.

View attachment 1124415

2 - The stream Sluice is built for using as a regular sluice. This is what I have had for years.

View attachment 1124416

And it does work good but you have to have a flat bed of gravel to lay it on because it is flexible. So it can be a pain to set up. And then when you finish a bucket, you need to pull it and clean it right then and not leave it in the river because the gold will migrate through it and out the end if given enough time.

So I have had a few of Angus's over the years also and I still use them where the LeTrap because of it's flexibility gets used rarely. I have an old Angus Long Tom that I have been using for years. It's big but it's solid and this is why I prefer Angus over LeTrap. I bought the Recon² last year for Karen and the grand kids and we love it. It's small, light weight, solid and fits into a back pack.

Do I still use my LeTrap? Not really because the Angus is quick and easy.

Thanks Reed
I like the recon2 also. How does it do with super fine gold? Is easy to set up? Torn between that and the grub steak.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Wow! Your picture says it all!

 

[Lanny in AB]

So here it is. There are 2 kinds of LeTrap Sluices
1 - the River Robber has the solid front that is used for Highbankers and such. It does need to be cut off to use as a stream sluice.

View attachment 1124415

2 - The stream Sluice is built for using as a regular sluice. This is what I have had for years.

View attachment 1124416

And it does work good but you have to have a flat bed of gravel to lay it on because it is flexible. So it can be a pain to set up. And then when you finish a bucket, you need to pull it and clean it right then and not leave it in the river because the gold will migrate through it and out the end if given enough time.

So I have had a few of Angus's over the years also and I still use them where the LeTrap because of it's flexibility gets used rarely. I have an old Angus Long Tom that I have been using for years. It's big but it's solid and this is why I prefer Angus over LeTrap. I bought the Recon² last year for Karen and the grand kids and we love it. It's small, light weight, solid and fits into a back pack.

Do I still use my LeTrap? Not really because the Angus is quick and easy.

Nice write-up!

Way back when I bought mine, I only had one option from the supplier at the time--the one with the closed end on it (River Robber). I guess that's why they told me to cut the end off!

It's good to know they make two styles, but a bit late for me.

The real advantage is the light weight, but light weight causes issues like the ones you and others have described.

Ezrider: it sounds like you've made your mind up.

Good luck and post some pictures when you get a chance.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Reed Lukens]

Thanks Reed
I like the recon2 also. How does it do with super fine gold? Is easy to set up? Torn between that and the grub steak.

Easy set up, good on fines with the right water flow just read the directions. The Adventure in my opinion isn't great and you get what you pay for. I like the Recon² so that's what I bought I've never used or seen the Grubstake.