March 2011 (17)
Yet to be added to the site, are four very very high level Omosako Tosai Shiro Utsuris, and a handful of Okawa Kujakus, most of which have sold already.
I think that in reflection, this has been the most successful Tosai trip to date, having purchased more top level Tosai than ever before. I will be back home and available from the morning of the 20th if you have any enquiries...
many thanks, Mike.
Today I selected through two ponds of the best Tosai Tategoi. I bought everything I liked, bar none. Could it be that this was the Grand Finale? You'll find out when I get back to my hotel this evening...
Today was spent at Omosako. I purchased just a few very high level female Jumbo Tosai, and then we hit the road for Matsue again. I can't say anything more at this point, you'll have to wait and see what happens...
But, I have just added videos for some of the new Okawa and Ueno Koi. The latter are somewhat skinny, as I had the pick of the whole pond of Tategoi, that were yet to be selected for this coming Summers Tategoi, so they are heavily stocked right now, and not getting enough food. But, I think these Tosai are wonderful prospects, and certainly the best of their Tategoi.
One small point... A week or so ago, I added two Momotaro Jumbo Tosai Showa to the site, and mistakenly listed them as male, but they are in fact female, and from the new Momotaro Mako Showa bloodline. One of the very first breedings from this line, was at last years BKKS National as Sansai, and is looking superb now as Yonsai.
I'm having an early night now, as am very tired. More news tomorrow, I hope... :-)
Mike.
Now, we are heading to Ueno Koi Farm ...
update... There's good news and more good news...
firstly, Mark is driving now, so I can rest a bit.
Next, I harvested out a senbetsu on Ueno's Tosai Tategoi, and now have 7 female Jumbo Tosai to add to the website this evening! It's been a very fruitful day!!! :-)
Yesterday, we went to Omosako. We did some filing for Mark's forthcoming DVD there on selecting Tosai Shiro Utsuri, which I think went pretty well.
This morning, we went to Takeda Koi Farm, and for the first time, I drew a blank there. I even went back to Ya-san's Tosai growing house and looked through those ponds. All I could find was one Sanke of about 40cm that I liked... so, I apologised, and we left. Ya-san seemed happy though, so I think I will be welcomed back again. He said he would show me this Sanke this coming Autumn when she becomes Nisai.
We left Takeda Koi Farm at around 11.30am, and then took a 5 hour trek down to Okawa in Kyushu. I am absolutely exhausted now!!! I will be going out for dinner with Mark shortly, and then have an early night. Hopefully, I'll have a new lease of energy tomorrow morning...
Bye for now...
Mike.
I also got 4 really good female Jumbo Tosai.
Well, this afternoon we were back at Okawa. Not much else to say though right now, aside from the fact that the Okawa brothers have seen my new male Momotaro's Koi, and have been trying to get me to sell one of them to them! I can't do this foro two reasons... it defeats the reason for getting them in the first place, and secondly, if I sold Koi like these to another breeder, my chances of getting this kind of Koi again would never again happen. Yuji-san (Okawa's younger brother) said he is going to work on me about it after dinner tonight!
Well, today kicks off with a very easy morning, as we have to be at Omosako for about 1pm. I hope that today will see me buy the first of our good Tosai at Omosako... We'll see. Today is unimportant for me right now though, as this week is really all about Leo and Jim. My time will come... ;-)
Update... Well, today, I bought three extremely good female Tosai from Omosako's 'Patra' parent. These are now on the 'Fish' pages.
More...
Well, today was a very interesting day indeed! Sakai have just held their last auction, and have sold out of all Tosai and Nisai, aside from some Tateshita.
However, I managed to buy just these few Koi! The Kohakus are children from 'Love Queen'. I am ecstatic to have been able to obtain these Koi! Kentaro said that he has never before sent Tosai of this level to the UK. The middle Kohaku suffered my juvenile hands with the camera, so the pic was overexposed. I think I will ditch the polarising filter, as I think this is what is causing my problems.
Right now, I am in my hotel room in Ogori, and in the morning head down to Ueno, and then Okawa. It's been another long day, but a good one.
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I will upload photos to the 'fish' section of the website, but for now, please browse these female Tosai. I am going to keep the price as keen as I can, so that you will have a chance to buy high quality Tosai that are within reach of most budgets. They will work out at £600 - £700 each, and are between about 32cm and 36cm. I can't guarantee the sex of these at this price. If you do want guarantees however, please contact me...
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