It is the fish that artists of long ago used to symbolize the Korean king. Only one fish was depicted in a painting, never two, since there was only one king to be loyal to, the fish swam alone on the canvas. The mandarin fish (Siniperca scherzeri) or "sogari" in Korean, is well suited to represent royalty, and it is also one of Korea's premier freshwater game fish.

The pursuit of the sogari forces you to go to the prettiest parts of Korea. It exists only in the clear water of shallow fasting moving streams and these places are usually in mountain valleys, far from the urban sprawl.

When scouting for possible fishing spots, look for rocks, submerged boulders and pebble riverbeds, where it lays its eggs in the gravel bottom. The fishing season is closed from May 20 to July 10 during the spawning period in the Jeolla and Gyeongnam Provinces.

Aesthetically, the fish is a gorgeous sight, as it emerges shimmering out of the water. Its scales are a collage of golden brown hues forming leopard-like rosette patterns. It is arguably the most beautiful fish native to Korea with its only rival being a native trout found in the mountain streams of Gangwon Province.

It averages 20 to 30 cm in length, with specimens over 50 cm regarded as a rare trophy. It has a lower jaw longer than the upper jaw, much like a bass and also somewhat comparable to a bass in body and fin shape.

For sporting purposes, the sogari is the top predator of the food chain in the freshwater ecosystem, eating minnows, insects and crustaceans. Presentation is most important and you have to work for the fish; coaxing and delicately playing the lure over the streambed and past the underwater nooks its uses as cover.

Careful sensitivity is needed to set the hook, but once on, it will put a tight bend on an ultra light rod. Weighted rubber jigs worked slowly over the bottom are the prime choice, and it is necessary for your tackle box to be well-stocked since you are sure to lose many on underwater snags.

The mandarin fish is a nocturnal hunter and night fishing increases your chances of catching one but it is not a bad way to spend your time standing on a smooth granite boulder midstream as the sun rises over the mountain peaks and your line cuts the crisp morning air.

Native to the Korean peninsula and Manchurian China, the mandarin fish has been coveted as a delicacy eaten raw, steamed, or in a hot peppery soup called "sogari maeun tang."

Although a fishing license is not required in Korea, nor are there size or bag limits, many Korean anglers using artificial lures have adopted the sporting principle of catch and release: the fish is returned to the water to insure a future population, rather than keeping it for the dinner table.

A nice side pursuit if the sogari aren't biting is casting for the Korean brook perch (Coreoperca herzi) known in Korean as the "keokji." Sharing the same habitat characteristics as the sogari, the brook perch is smaller sized and more numerous than the mandarin fish. It is also more aggressive. Tie on a small spinner and the keokji will strike the lure with a savage speed.

Wearing polarized sunglasses to cut the surface glare, you will see an underwater shadow streak at your spinner, hitting it hard.

The mandarin fish and the Korean brook perch exist in most shallow and rocky fast moving rivers throughout the Korean peninsula.

In the north of the country, go to where the Jucheon River runs through Jiak Mountain, in Gangwon Province. In the central region, Chungcheong Province, head to the upper branch of the Keum River near Sutong Village. And in the south, try the Gyeongho River that rims the eastern edge of Jirisan National Park, or the Banbyeon stream near the village of Jinbo close to Andong City.

Copyright © James Card.