The notchmouth (above) and barbel (below) are two overlooked opponents in the mountain streams.

Everyone loves to fly fish for trout, but there are so many worthy gamefish that are overlooked in America and even more in other parts of the world. It's a shame. Consider that the Mongolian taimen, the world's biggest salmonid, only became known to most American anglers in the last decade or so. Ever hear of the Blackspotted pike? It's a cousin to the American northern pike. It lives in the wild country of Northeast Asia. Few western anglers have ever caught one. Tempting to think about, isn't it?

In Korea there are barbels, a kind of sucker that is nearly identical in shape to a saltwater bonefish. Stalked in river shallows they are hunted by sight and you cast directly to them and watch the entire take, or the nervous rejection. Another species found in similar water are notchmouths, a predatory fish-eating member of the carp family. Its mouth has a notched upper jaw that fits into a hooked lower jaw.