Fall in love with fishing
Steady bites, no crowds and a pond to yourselves. It's the easiest place we know to catch a first fish, and a good one for your hundredth.
By appointment only · Season 2027
Your chance to fish our Private Honey Hole.
A one-acre private trout pond where kids and grown-ups fall in love with fishing. No fishing licence needed, nets on the dock, rods to rent, and up to 4 of the rainbow, brook and tiger trout you land are yours to keep for $20 each. We book one party at a time.
1 acre20 ft at its deepestUp to 5 anglersone party at a time2 or 4 hoursprivate blocks
No licence needed
Fish our private, licensed pond without buying an Alberta sportfishing licence. No licence to buy for anyone in your party.
Catch and keep
Much of Alberta's trout water is catch-and-release. Here, you can take home up to 4 trout from every visit.
Our Private Honey Hole
One pond. 3 species.
All three species share 3,000 cubic metres of fishable water. You won't know which one you've hooked until it's in the net.
Rainbow
Oncorhynchus mykissThe most plentiful fish in the pond, and the biggest. Hard fighters that jump; the pink band down the flank gives them away.
- Typical
- 1–3 lb
- Best on
- Red wigglers, dough bait
Brook
Salvelinus fontinalisA char, not a true trout, and scarcer than the rainbows. White-edged fins and haloed red spots. Kind to first-timers.
- Typical
- 0.5–2 lb
- Best on
- Small spinner, worms
PHOTO · Tiger trout, vermiculated pattern · 1200×1500
Tiger
Salmo trutta × S. fontinalisA sterile hybrid with maze-like markings, and the rarest fish in the pond. Land one and you've caught something few Alberta anglers ever see.
- Typical
- 0.5–2 lb
- Best on
- Spoon, fly
Provenance
The water and the fish
The water
About one acre, 20 feet at its deepest, with 3,000 cubic metres of fishable water. The water is clean, regularly tested and actively aerated 24 hours a day.
The stocking
Hundreds of trout grown right here on site from provincial fish hatchery stock, restocked every year so there's always a fresh run of rainbow, brook and tiger trout.
The harvest
Any fish you keep is $20. Clean it yourself free at the cleaning station, or on weekends and during the last block on weekdays, have us clean and vacuum-pack it for $5.
Raised for the table
Why our trout eat better
A trout tastes like the water it grew up in and the food it found there. Ours grow up in a natural pond, not a tank.
An earthen pond
Our trout live in a one-acre earthen pond with a natural bottom, plants and room to roam, not concrete raceways or crowded tanks. They swim, chase and hold in the cool deep water like wild fish, and stocking stays low so every fish has space.
A hybrid diet
We feed a quality trout ration, and the pond does the rest. Between feedings our fish forage on what lives in the water: freshwater shrimp, insects and other natural food. That mix of feed and forage is what gives them firm flesh, a rich colour and a clean, mild flavour.
Ready for the pan
Active, well-fed fish make firmer fillets that hold together in the pan and on the smoker. Every fish you keep can be cleaned and on ice within minutes of leaving the water, so it reaches your kitchen as fresh as trout gets.
Days on the water
First casts, first fish
This is where kids fall in love with fishing: a pond full of trout, nobody else on the bank, and a fish to carry home and show off.
Pricing · CAD, plus GST
Book the pond. Keep what you catch.
Every reservation is the whole pond for 2 or 4 hours, for up to 5 anglers and 3 non-fishing guests. There's no fishing licence to buy, and you can keep up to 4 trout per reservation. Weekends and statutory holidays are peak days.
Private pond · 2 hours
$90 weekday · $125 peak
- The entire pond, one party at a time
- Includes 2 anglers
- Landing nets included
- Extra adult $25 · $30 peak
- Extra child 5–15 $15 · $20 peak
- 4 hours: $160 weekday · $225 peak, 10% off
- 4-hour extra adult $45 · $55 peak; child $25 · $35 peak
Gear, bait and fire
$10 rod rental
- Red wigglers: $8 a dozen
- Dough bait: $9 a jar
- Own rods and tackle welcome: barbless circle hooks only
- Rods, reels, tackle, water, pop and sunscreen: in our pro shed
- Fire pit: $30 with a bundle of firewood and roasting sticks
- Extra firewood: $10 a bundle · S'mores kit for 6: $15
- Barbecue: $10; bring your own food
- Farm-fresh free-range eggs, unwashed: $8 a dozen
Fish you keep
$20 per fish · up to 4
- Up to 4 kept per reservation; release the rest
- Cleaning and vacuum packing: +$5 a fish, on weekends or the last block on weekdays
- Pre-pay at booking, or log fish at self-checkout
- Unused pre-paid fish carry to your next visit
- A fish that can't be released: on our circle hooks, no charge and it stays with us; on your own tackle, $12 or surrender it
- Clean your own for free at the cleaning station
- Fish leave the property dead, unless you hold an Alberta aquaculture licence
Peak days 2027: every Saturday and Sunday, plus May 24, Jul 1, Aug 2, Sep 6 and Oct 11.
| Book by | Early booking discount |
|---|
Reservations · By appointment only
Reserve Our Pond and Build Your Package
Choose your party, date and block, add any extras, and sign the waiver. Your gate code arrives by text on the day of your visit.
Build your day
1 · Who's coming · up to 5 anglers
Adult anglers16 and over
Child anglers5 to 15
Non-anglersAny age, up to 3, free. Along for the fire, the food and the view.
2 · When
Open blocksFilling upLast blocksPeak day
3 · Extras (all optional)
Start from one of these, then add or remove anything below or in your summary.
Gear and bait
Bringing your own tackle? Welcome, with barbless circle hooks only. A fish that can't be released stays with us at no charge on our circle hooks; on your own tackle it's $12 or surrendered.
Rod rentals$10 each, returned to the gear locker
Red wigglers$8 a dozen
Dough bait$9 a jar
Fire and food
Fire pit$30, with one bundle of firewood and roasting sticks. Refunded if a county fire ban is on.
Extra firewood$10 a bundle
S'mores kit$15, serves 6
Barbecue$10 for your block. Bring your own food.
Farm-fresh eggsFree-range, unwashed. $8 a dozen, ready in the gear locker.
Stay the night
Camper overnight · $150Kitchen, bathroom, fire pit with firewood, lawn chairs. Check in after your block, check out by 9 am.
Take-home trout, by the pound
Harvested for your visit and packed on ice in the cleaning shed cooler. Order at least 3 days ahead.
Whole dressed rainbow
Whole dressed brook
Rainbow fillets, skin-on
Hot-smoked fillets
Your fish
Fish to keep, pre-paid$20 each, up to 4 per reservation. You can also pay at self-checkout.
Fish to clean and vacuum-pack$5 a fish
Clean my own fishFree, any block. Cleaning table, running water, fillet knives, bags and ice at the cleaning shed.
Your reservation
Total
Self-serve · No lifeguard on site
How a visit works
Visits are self-serve. Cameras watch the property, and the owner is on call by text during every block.
- Book and sign
Reserve online, sign the waiver, and save a card. Share the reservation code with your party. Every other adult signs their own waiver on the Sign your waiver page.
- Get your code
Once every adult has signed, your gate code arrives by text 2 hours before your block. It works from 15 minutes before your block until it ends. No signatures, no code.
- Let yourself in
Enter the code at the gate keypad and park in the marked stalls.
- Fish
Nets, circle hooks, forceps, the priest and a fish cooler are on the dock, and the life ring and emergency box are at the dock head.
- Check out
Scan the QR code at the cleaning shed, or use self-checkout, and log the fish you kept. Anything not pre-paid goes on your card. You get a bill of lading that must travel with your fish. Injured fish you don't want go in the ice tub, free.
- Cleaning and leaving
If you booked cleaning, bring your fish to the cleaning shed at the end of your block and take them home vacuum-packed, about 15 minutes later. Cleaning runs on weekends and during the last block on weekdays. Otherwise, take your fish home on ice and leave by the end of your block.
Self-checkout · before you leave
Log your fish
Trout are sport fish. Every fish leaving the property must be logged, paid for and carried with the bill of lading this checkout gives you.
Fish that aren't logged are reported
Fish taken from the property without being logged and paid for are reported to Alberta Fish and Wildlife and the police. The property is on camera.
Live fish can't leave the property unless you hold a valid Alberta aquaculture licence for the pond they're going to.
Before your visit
Sign your waiver
Every adult on a reservation signs their own waiver before the visit. Enter the reservation code from the person who booked, pick your name and sign. The gate code is sent once everyone has signed.
Under 18?
You don't sign. The parent or guardian on the reservation signs for you.
Block passes and gift cards
For regulars
Block passes lower the price of each visit. Every visit is still booked ahead.
| Block pass | Price | Per visit | You save* |
|---|
*Against the weekday price. Each pass visit is a weekday 2-hour block for 2 anglers. Peak days are $35 extra. Good for the 2027 season.
Buy a pass or gift
Celebrations
Make an evening of it
Both are booked like any reservation and covered by the same waiver.
Celebration block · $225 weekday · $275 peak
A 2-hour private block for up to 5 anglers and 6 more guests, with the fire pit, a s'mores kit, 5 rod rentals and worms. For birthdays and small gatherings. Fish $20 each.
Book a celebration
4-hour block · $160 weekday · $225 peak
Two back-to-back blocks with the pond to yourselves, 10% less than booking them separately. 2 anglers included, extra anglers at the 4-hour rate.
PHOTO · The camper at dusk, lawn chairs by the fire pit · 1500×1000
Overnight in the camper · $150 a night
Add it to the last booking of the day and have the place to yourselves until morning. Camper with kitchen and bathroom, the fire pit with firewood, and lawn chairs. Check out by 9 am.
For chefs and home kitchens
Trout by the pound
Harvested to order and delivered cold. Restaurants get wholesale pricing at 25 lb or more and can set up a weekly standing order.
| Product | Individual | Restaurant, 25 lb+ |
|---|
Prices per pound. Order by Tuesday for Friday harvest. Pickup by appointment, or Friday delivery to Calgary restaurants.
Order trout
Pond to plate
Trout recipes
Four ways to cook what you catch. Cook trout until the thickest part reaches 70°C (158°F) and the flesh flakes with a fork.
Smoke your own · 1 day, about 3 hours hands-off
Hot-smoked trout
Brine overnight, dry to a tacky skin, then smoke low and slow over alder or apple. Works for 4 to 6 fillets, skin on.
Ingredients
- 1 L (4 cups) cold water
- 60 g (¼ cup) kosher salt
- 100 g (½ cup) packed brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed, and 1 tsp cracked black pepper (optional)
- Maple syrup for glazing (optional)
- Alder, apple or cherry wood chips or pellets
Method
- Brine. Stir the salt and sugar into the water until dissolved, add the garlic and pepper, and submerge the fillets. Refrigerate 6 to 8 hours, or 4 hours for thin fillets.
- Rinse and dry. Rinse each fillet under cold water and pat dry.
- Form the pellicle. Set the fillets skin-side down on a rack and refrigerate uncovered for 2 hours, or put a fan on them for 1 hour, until the surface feels tacky. This is what makes the smoke stick.
- Smoke. Run the smoker at 80–95°C (175–200°F). Smoke the fillets skin-side down for 2 to 3 hours, until the thickest part reaches 70°C (158°F). Brush with maple syrup in the last 30 minutes if you like.
- Rest and store. Cool on the rack, then wrap and refrigerate for up to a week, or vacuum-seal and freeze for up to 3 months.
No smoker? A kettle barbecue works: coals or one burner on one side, a foil pouch of soaked chips over the heat, fish on the other side, lid closed with the vents mostly shut.
20 minutes
Pan-fried whole trout
Cast iron, butter and sweet peppers. One fish of about 1 lb per person.
Ingredients and method
- 2 cleaned whole trout, about 450 g (1 lb) each
- Salt, pepper, 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter
- A handful of mini sweet peppers, sliced, and ½ red onion
- Pat the fish dry. Season inside and out, and tuck lemon slices in the cavity.
- Heat the oil in a cast-iron pan over medium-high. Add the onion and peppers, then the fish.
- Cook 4 to 5 minutes, until the skin is crisp, then turn carefully and add the butter.
- Cook another 4 to 5 minutes, spooning butter over the fish, until it reaches 70°C at the backbone.
15 minutes
Trout burger
A seared, skin-on fillet on a soft bun with cheese and quick tartar sauce.
Ingredients and method
- 2 skin-on trout fillets, cut to bun size
- 2 brioche buns and 2 slices of cheddar
- Tartar sauce: 4 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tbsp chopped dill pickle, a squeeze of lemon
- Salt, pepper, a little oil
- Mix the tartar sauce. Season the fillets.
- Sear skin-side down in a hot oiled pan for 3 to 4 minutes, until the skin is crisp.
- Flip, lay the cheese on top, cover and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese melts and the fish reaches 70°C.
- Toast the buns, spread with tartar sauce and build.
At the pond · 25 minutes
Fire pit foil packet
Cook your catch on the barbecue or over the fire pit coals before you head home.
Ingredients and method
- 1 cleaned whole trout or 2 fillets per packet
- 2 tbsp butter, 3 lemon slices, a few sprigs of dill, 1 clove garlic, sliced
- Salt and pepper, heavy-duty foil
- Lay the fish on a large sheet of foil. Season, then top with butter, lemon, dill and garlic.
- Fold the foil into a sealed packet, then wrap it in a second sheet.
- Cook on the barbecue over medium heat, or on a grate over glowing coals (not flames), for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once.
- Open carefully; steam escapes. The fish is done at 70°C, when it flakes easily.
Do I really eat the skin?
Yes, if you cook it crisp. Trout skin is thin and mild, and its scales are so small you don't need to remove them. Seared skin-side down until it's golden, it's the best part of the fish.
How to get it crisp:
- Pat the skin completely dry with paper towel.
- Salt it just before it goes in the pan.
- Start skin-side down in a hot, oiled pan and press the fillet flat for the first 30 seconds so it doesn't curl.
- Leave it alone for 3 to 4 minutes. It releases from the pan when it's ready.
When to skip it. Steamed, poached or foil-packet trout comes out with soft skin, which most people peel off. It lifts away in one piece once the fish is cooked. Smoked trout skin peels off easily too.
The skin is worth keeping. Much of a trout's healthy fat, including its omega-3s, sits in and just under the skin.
If it tastes earthy. Pond-raised fish can sometimes pick up an earthy flavour in warm weather, and it collects in the skin and the dark strip of fat along the side. Remove both and the rest of the fillet tastes clean.
Pond stocking · Reserving for spring 2028
Reserve 4–7" rainbow trout for spring 2028
We're scaling up our hatchery, and fingerling sales open with the spring 2028 stocking season. Reserve now to hold your fish for your dugout or pond. Pickup by appointment or delivery runs from late April to mid-May 2028, after ice-off. A 25% deposit holds your fish, and we confirm the final 2028 price before the balance is due.
| Size | Per fish | 100 fish | 500 fish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4–6" rainbow | $3.05 | $305 | $1,525 |
| 5–7" rainbow | $4.31 | $431 | $2,155 |
Minimum 100 fish. Delivery within 100 km: $150. For pickup, bring an aerated tank.
Aquaculture licence required
Alberta requires a valid aquaculture licence before fish can be stocked into any pond. We need your licence number to reserve, and we check the licence before releasing fish.
Reserve fingerlings
fish still available for spring 2028
Find us
244083 Range Road 264
Wheatland County, Alberta
By appointment only. The gate opens only with the code texted to the lead guest on the day of the visit.
Getting hereVERIFY
- From Calgary, take Highway 1 (Trans-Canada) east past Chestermere toward Strathmore.
- Turn north onto Range Road 264. Use the full address in your map app; rural addresses here map to the driveway.
- Watch for the Honey Hole sign and the blue rural address marker reading 244083 on the [east/west] side of the road.
- Pull up to the keypad gate, enter your code, and park in the marked stalls by the cleaning shed.
- Cell coverage: [carrier and signal at the pond]. Save the address in case you lose signal. For emergencies, call 911 and give the address above.
Owner desk
Sign in to continue
This page is for the owner and editors only. Open it while signed in to the Claude account that owns or edits this site. On the live website, the owner page signs in with the owner token from the server settings.
Owner view · Brand guide
Honey Hole Trout Pond
"Honey hole" is anglers' slang for a secret spot that always produces. The brand sells that feeling: private water that few people know about.
Honey HoleTrout Pond · Est. 2027
Honey HoleTrout Pond · Est. 2027
The mark: a honeycomb cell holding a trout over a ripple. Use the full lockup on signs and the website, and the mark alone for the gate sign, hats, stickers and social avatars.
Honey#95651A · accent, buttons
Honey light#E0A93B · accent on dark
Pond#1F2A23 · dark bands, signage
Cream#F3EEE4 · background, paper
Type
Cormorant Garamond in capitals for the name and headlines. Jost for body text and spaced-out labels.
Voice
Short, plain and confident. Talk about the water, the fish and privacy. Say "by appointment only" everywhere a visitor might arrive.
Name
"Honey Hole Trout Pond" on first use, "Honey Hole" after. Tagline: Private water. By appointment only.
Owner desk · editors only
Run the Honey Hole
Bookings, customers, follow-ups, marketing and payments in one place. The agents draft; you approve and send from goldennectargardens@gmail.com.
Gate codes
Set the three codes programmed into the gate keypad. Each session gets one by its place in the day (A, B, C, A, B), so back-to-back sessions never share a code. Once every adult on a reservation has signed, the code for that session is queued to go out 2 hours before it starts.
Codes are stored where only you and editors can read them. They never appear in the page itself.
Total presold$0
Reservations0
Avg per reservation$0
Fish pre-paid0
Passes and gifts$0
Stocking deposits$0
Trout orders0
Standing orders, lb / week0
Prep list · next visits
What to have ready before each party arrives: rods, bait, eggs, trout for the cooler, the camper, and who's cleaning fish.
| Visit | Party | Waivers | Set out | Notes |
|---|
| Customer | Tags | Visits | Next visit | Spend |
|---|
Runs automatically whenever this desk is open and something changes. It checks every booking, pass, order and stocking reservation and queues the message each one needs, including the gate code once every adult has signed: pre-visit directions, waiver links for other adults, thank-yous with a rebooking offer, unlogged fish, unused passes, standing-order offers and stocking pickup reminders.
Claude reads which blocks are still open, where presales stand and what's selling, then drafts an email, social posts and one promotion aimed at the gaps.
Stripe test mode
No real cards are charged in this prototype. In production, each booking goes through Stripe Checkout, which saves the card for self-checkout charges, and refunds are issued through Stripe.
Collected$0
Refunded$0
Net$0
Transactions0
| Date | Customer | Item | Amount | Status |
|---|
Suggestions only. Prices on the site change only when you change them.
Visits, last 30 days0
Visits that booked—
Avg reservation—
Blocks sold, next 60 days—
Recommendations
Booking funnel, last 30 days
How many visits reached each step.
Visits per day, last 14 days
One record per visit.
Most-viewed sections
Share of visits that scrolled to each section.
Where visits come from
By device, and by the site that linked to you.
Counts are anonymous and kept for this site only. In this prototype, only signed-in visitors can be counted; the live server counts every visit.
Claude reads the live page and the price list and reports prices that disagree, promises the booking form can't keep, and copy that needs work. Hand the list to Claude Code to apply.
Before you arrive
Questions
Can I just drop in?
No. The pond is open by appointment only, and the gate opens only with a code sent to a booked, signed guest.
Is anyone on site?
Visits are self-serve. Staff are on site only to run the fish-cleaning service, and they don't supervise guests or the pond. Cameras monitor the property, and the owner is on call during every block at 403-702-4499. There is no lifeguard.
Do I need a fishing licence?
No. The pond is a licensed private fishery, so no provincial sportfishing licence is needed.
Do I need to bring gear?
Only if you want to. Landing nets are on the dock. Rent a rod for $10, or bring your own rods and tackle. Rods, reels and tackle are also for sale in our pro shed. Red wigglers are $8 a dozen and dough bait is $9 a jar. Barbless circle hooks only; ours are free in the gear locker. On our hooks, a fish that can't be released costs nothing and stays with us. On your own tackle, it must be bought for $12 or surrendered.
How does keeping fish work?
Keep up to 4 fish per reservation at $20 each. Release the rest, and log kept fish at self-checkout. Clean them yourself free at the cleaning station, or have us clean and vacuum-pack them for $5 a fish on weekends and during the last weekday block. Want more trout to take home? Add trout by the pound to your booking.
Can kids or teens come on their own?
No. Everyone under 18 must come with an adult 18 or older who is named on the reservation and stays for the whole visit. The person who books and signs the waiver must be 18 or older.
Is there a washroom?
Yes, there's a porta-potty on site. Guests staying overnight also have the bathroom in the camper.
Is there a lifeguard?
No. There is no lifeguard on duty at any time. You're responsible for your party's safety, so keep children within arm's reach and use the life jackets provided.
Can I bring my dog?
No dogs or other pets, please. Certified service animals are welcome.
What can I buy on site?
The pro shed sells water, pop, sunscreen, bait, and rods, reels and tackle, along with other essentials for a day on the water.
Do kids need life jackets?
Children under 12 wear a life jacket whenever they're on the dock or within 3 metres of the water, and so does anyone who can't swim. We supply them in the gear locker in kids' sizes. The pond is up to 20 feet deep and there's no lifeguard, so keep young children within arm's reach.
Can we stay overnight?
Yes. Add the camper to the last booking of the day for $150. It has a kitchen and bathroom, and the fire pit with firewood and lawn chairs are included. Check in after your block and check out by 9 am. The pond closes when your block ends, so no fishing overnight or in the morning. One party a night.
What if the weather turns?
Trout bite in the rain, so we fish. If we cancel for lightning or high wind, we text you and your reservation moves to any open block.