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Goldeye

One of Canada's most celebrated freshwater fish is the goldeye, well known to gourmets. When smoke-cured it is sold as Winnipeg goldeye and commands a high price. The goldeye (Hiodon alosoides) and the mooneye make up the mooneye family of fishes. The two species look much alike and are found only in fresh waters of North America. Both provide fine sport for anglers but because of superior flesh qualities, only the goldeye is sought by commercial fishermen.

The goldeye is a small fish averaging about 450 g in weight and 30.5 cm in length. Its body is deep in proportion to its length and is covered with large, loose scales. Dark blue to blue-green over the back, it is silvery on the sides and white over the belly. Beneath its short, bluntly rounded snout is a small mouth containing many sharp teeth on jaws and tongue. As its name indicates, its eyes are gold-coloured. Curiously enough, they reflect light as do the eyes of a cat. The colour of its eyes and the position of its anal fin, which begins further forward than the dorsal fin, distinguish it from its relative the mooneye.

Goldeye are found in both Canadian and American waters. In Canada their main area of distribution extends from western Ontario to the Rocky mountains and north to Great Slave Lake. Throughout their geographical range, they are most often found in warm, silty sections of large rivers and in shallow lakes connected to them.

Lake Winnipeg was once the largest producer of these fish, but stocks there were almost wiped out in the twenties as a result of overfishing. Today the main goldeye fishery is centred in the North and South Saskatchewan River. Commercial fishermen use gillnets. Anglers use light tackle with wet or dry flies, small spinners, or natural bait.

When fresh, the flesh of the goldeye is soft and unpalatable. However, it was noticed as early as 1890 that smoking it as the native Indians did greatly improved its flavour. As a smoked product it rapidly escalated in popularity, with demand exceeding supply since 1930.

Now, as in the past, goldeye processing is done almost exclusively in the City of Winnipeg. The fish are gutted, lightly brined, dyed an orange-red colour, then smoked over oak fires. They are marketed as whole, processed fish.

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Last updated : 2004-08-17

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