A&C 2009 koitrip to Japan
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Part 8
It took a while, but here is the last day of our travel report. In any case we got bad weather when we got in the car to visit Masaki. A couple days before we already selected some small Koi from him and now it is the time to return for some larger ones.
Everyone knows Masaki by his Shiro Utsuri. He breeds with the Omosako blood line and I must say the results are snow white fish having a deep and charcoal-black Sumi. Just like for the small Shiro Utsuri it is important to choose the ones having the thickest and brightest Shiroi or said otherwise having the brightest white. This blank must be nicely even of colour and not showing any signs of veins.
After looking for five minutes in the basin we scooped the first Shiro and additionally the fish is bowled. Exact as it must be, bright white and a clear very thick and even white skin. The second one scooped is of a lesser quality and therefor put back immediately. The third one is again of a quality that we gladly see and also the fourth meets the strict requirements of skin quality. Have a look at the pictures and see three beautiful white fish with charcoal black patterns.
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| Masaki Shiro Utsuri 1 |
Masaki Shiro Utsuri 2 |
Masaki Shiro Utsuri 3 |
Next we traveled to Hirasawa to select some breeding fish. We already indicated such during a previous visit. Hirasawa said that he would select some male koi from his own collection and bring them to his koi house. I was therefore gladly surprized to see the six male koi that he brought with in a plastic container.
Quickly a bowl was filled with water and fish were set free to enable me a close examination. My choice however was made fast; Two Kohaku with a really superb body and red colour expressed that they really would like to come with me to Grubbenvorst. Very deep pigmented and very even, you can also see that the red pigment is lies very deep. So two potential males that did not need a long thinking.
Then again go inside the koi house a looking in the larger basins to search for a good Kigoi and Chagoi. These however are big sized fish where we have to search for. There are several beautiful Chagoi and Kigoi in the basins and one really set the quality level. A very beautiful warm yellow colour and already approximately 70 cm in sizle. Also a Chagoi with a very special position of the scales was bowled. Both fish and the Kohaku are shown below.
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| Hirasawa Breeding Male 1 |
Hirasawa Breeding Male 2 |
Hirasawa Kigoi |
Hirasawa Chagoi |
With a very happy feeling in the abdomen we are back on the road to our next appointment.
When we were at Dainishi's a few days ago we had agreed to look at his Tategoi. We arrived some 30 minutes early and had to wait before Dainishi arrives. The fish were not fed during the last two days and thus the Tategoi could be netted.
We select a small number of fish that are stunned to be checked whether males or females. I added a series of pictures to clearly show this. First the pectoral fins are rubbed and then the outer radius of it. Next the fish is turned and the fish is stroked from the middle to the anus. After checking all fish Dainishi says: "90% all female".
The fish are then put on another tank for aeration. From there I select two very beautiful and deeply colored Tategoi Showa. These Tategoi are seven months old and already 35 cm in length. Real Tategoi of the number one breeder Showa in Japan.
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| Dainishi Tategoi |
From Kataoke and Yamazaki we have bought 15 Koi that all go to the All Japan young Koi show. From these fish, we have no pictures but of course we hope that they will a receive a price before they come to my Koi shop.
We have arrived at the last day of our trip to Japan. We now just have to wait for the fish that we showed in this trip report and of course also the many that were not shown for their arrival in Grubbenvorst to enable you a "life" display. I can imagine that for the people reserved the Koi and the Koi challengers this will not quickly enough.
Thanks for reading our report and see you in Grubbenvorst.