When an angler starts out on a well-planned fishing trip, his or her instincts hope to find a “honey hole.”
So, just what is a “honey hole”? Generally, an angler envisions a fairly well-defined body of water (creek, stream or lake) where catching fish is really great.
Wikipedia offers these definitions for honey hole:
• Slang for a location that yields a valued commodity or resource.
• In fishing, a honey hole could be a particular spot in a body of water (or used as a general term for the entire body of water) where conditions are ideal for catching fish.
Such a spot could be the leading edge of a hump, a depression, or a bend in the channel.
My definition of a honey hole has a larger meaning… it is everything that makes for a wonderful fishing adventure. A few years ago, I found just such a place — the community of Alton, Missouri, and the surrounding area that has the first federally-designated National Wild and Scenic River… also springs, outfitters, historically significant gems, lodgings, restaurants, and friendly folks.