Although it's been almost two years since I stepped foot in this tranquil little valley hidden among the mountains of Gyeongbuk Province in South Korea, the image of my friend Dong-Hyeok taking one of his first casts with a fly rod as shadow replaces light in this untouched stretch of Lenok Valley Creek plays repeatedly in my mind. The last time I entered Lenok Valley, a refuge for the southern-most population of Lenok (Brachymystax Lenok) in the world, it was being bull-dozed by Bobcat-wielding government workers who had little appreciation for the natural history and culture of this magical place. This shortsigthed "channelization" project was being carried out in the name of long-term relief from 100 year floods, the last of which had hit in 2005 and caused quite a bit of havoc, including the destruction of a concrete bridge. Until just a few years ago, Lenok swam the entire length of the skinny but pure green waters that find their source near a Buddhist temple at the top of the valley. These fish, known as Yeolmogeo (literally, "fire-eyed fish" due to the circle of gold found in their eyes), survived the last hundred year flood. When I look at this picture, my optimism plays off of the fading but present sunlight, and I maintain hope that I will find the fish of Lenok Valley when I return.
"Please release Lenok! Seining, spear fishing, electro-shocking, etc. prohibited"
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