Anglers' heaven: 16-07-2008
Committed anglers can legally hunt some of the world's rarest and endangered fish on the imaginatively named Lake Monster in Thailand.
The 7-acre lake near Bangkok holds around 24 types of freshwater fish and is one of several created for the sole purpose of allowing anglers to catch rare species.
The idea is that anglers make their catch, take their photographs, and then release the fish back into the water.
This should help endangered species survive while allowing anglers to pursue their hobby without pressure from conservationists.
University of Reno fisheries biologist Zeb Hogan told National Geographic that the scheme helps both parties.
"This is allowing anglers to catch rare species without having to go into the wild and try to remove a very rare fish from its natural habitat," he said.
"What we should do is minimize the harm to the fish and maximize the information we're gaining in order to protect them."
Adventure travellers with enough skill are able to catch dog-eating catfish, as well as 10 foot long alligator gar and arapaima.