Tell us about yourself?

I am Rick fishers and I have been prospecting for well over a decade.
Even though I live in South Australia I travel to the Western Australian goldfields every winter to look for Gold.
I have appeared on Aussie Gold Hunters on Discovery channel in season 2 and season 3 which portrayed a little of what I do when I’m out in the goldfields.

What interested/attracted you to buy your first metal detector?

Many years ago I read an article from Victoria where in 1980 in Kingower a 27 kg nugget called the Hand of Faith was found.
This nugget was the largest nugget to be found by a metal detector and is now on display in Las Vegas Golden Nugget Casino.
This sparked my desire to get outside and start looking for gold of my own, so I wasn’t long before I geared up and began the hunt.

When did you use your Coiltek coil fist & how did you find this experience?

Not long after I purchased my first true gold metal detector, the GP 3500, I bought the Coiltek Goldstalker coil to compliment the machine.
Immediately I found this to be a huge advantage as this coil paid for itself within the first week.
The Goldstalker coils were fantastic but it wasn’t long until the Elite coils came on the market to which I couldn’t wait to get the full set.
The Elite Coils were truly a game changer. When Coiltek invented the flat wound cableing, it improved the detectors performance incredibly.

How has metal detecting benefitted your lifestyle?

Detecting in the West Australian goldfields for me has been a life-changing experience in ways that is difficult to describe.
Being outside in the bush, searching for gold has made me a fitter, happier, healthier person.
I have seen some amazing history in the form of relics from when the old timers were looking for gold all those years ago.
Seeing just how much they must have struggled shows me just how lucky we are to live in this day and age.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to start metal detecting?

If you’re starting out detecting for gold for the first time, the best thing you could do is gear up with the best technology and learn the techniques from professionals. By joining a tour or have someone show you the basics, the quest for gold becomes easier if you have an understanding of how to go about it.
Looking for gold is great fun but finding it is just pure adrenalin!

What has been your most significant experience or find to date?

My most memorable finds in recent years are always going to be the big nuggets.
Soon after Coiltek released the Goldhawk range for the GPX6000, I recovered a beautiful 6 ounce nugget which proved to me that this technology would be highly desirable for any serious prospector.
Saying that, in 2016 I found my biggest, a 480 gram (15.5 ounce) nugget using the 18 x 12 Elite coil. To this day, my largest yet.

Who or what inspired you to start detecting?

My inspiration for detecting for gold happened many years ago when I came across a guy looking for gold in the South Australian goldfields of Jupiter Creek.
I remember it well as it was late morning when I met him and after a brief chat he pulled two nuggets from his pocket worth more than I had earned in a week!
If this wasn’t inspiration for me, nothing was.
There is truly no other feeling than holding that beautiful gold in your hands.