It was a good 20 plus years ago when I was fishing the North Saskatchewan River for the first time. I was a mountain kid who had moved to Edmonton for school. Being on a flat prairie river was about as out of place as I could have felt. I figured fish are fish, so there I was on the bank, firing off my trusty silver Mepps spinner, searching for anything that would bite. It was mid-summer, and water clarity was improving and sure enough, on one of those fateful casts I hooks and landed a dinner plate sized silvery slab with a large gold eye and great big scales. I then caught another, and another. These fish were about as willing a fish as I had ever met. As I was to find out, they would happily bite a fly, eat a worm, minnow, or even a plug.
The lazy lower Athabasca River is prime goldeye habitat
A river goldeye, fooled by a jig tipped with a worm
Goldeye, and their close relative, the Mooneye, populate many of the prairie rivers come summer, and can be found in schools that often number in the hundreds. What this means is outstanding fishing for an eager fish that bites readily, fights hard, and is a lot of fun. Considering how truly accessible they are, I say make time to visit your river and get in on some of the most fun fishing of the year.
The goldeye; full of fight, willing to bite, and fun to catch
Time on the river is a great way to spend an evening