New week new customers, Ron from kent, our nearly yearly regulars Rod and Diane and some new guests BKKS judge Heather and her husband Rodger. Now this was going to be interesting, as in the fact that roger has in my opinion so much knowledge and a great eye for koi i was worried that every time id bowl somthing would i be looking over my shoulder for an approving nod, or even a scowl and sharp whisling through the the teeth, the forth coming week would tell.

As per usual 1st visit was to see the agent and have a look around his facility. he really has an eye for the unusual and the varietys in stock were amazing including a whole pond of ki goi, doitsu kigoi, ki ustsuri, gin rin ki ustsuri and female and sansai, although not what we are looking for in the autumn, it was nice to see. A quick visit to Kase where we admired his lovely doitsu and metallics, then on to aoki who certainly knows how to charge for koi so we diddnt stay long. Then it was up to mushigame wherewe stopped to see Nagashima, this really is a nice guy and always has time to bowl a koi or two. I saw a nice showa with a near maruten head pattern to it before i knew it, it was bought from under my nose (thats right customer always has first option on our trips) feeling robbed i had a look at his bigger koi and found quiet a reasonable shiro utsuri, 65cm 4year old, when the price was given every ones head turned and said how much, it was one of those moments when the price was too low we thought there must be somthing wrong!!! but after checking the koi over and getting the seal of approval from roger and heather koi was purchased. Turns out the breeder sold the koi as jumbo tosai and the customer never returned to pick it up and he just wanted it out, well i guess one mans loss is another ones gain ! Afew fish in the main pond where priced and they really took your breath away, but with massive prices to match it was too early in the week for major purchses but i will try and get a few photos of these fish.

Higher up the mountains we found ourselves at Yagenji. I know i crow on about these place but it really has to be one of my favourites, there is always somthing for somone whatever the budget. Ron was first in with a great shiro with very good skin and again great price, even with the yen so bad still under 200 pounds out here! he then picked an unusual kindai showa and another shiro for his friend, so three koi in as many minutes ,another happy camper. Just as we were about to leave my eye caught an a 4 step kohaku, i pondered for a while as it had a large shimmie at the back, one group discussion later the koi was bowled and it was then dicussed that the shimmie could be dealt with, the koi was very nice and rogers 2nd, 3rd and 4th opinion where duly noted so the koi was purchased. if i make jokes about roger please exuse me as we go back along way and i have great respect for the man and his knowlegde but we have to have a laugh as well. Looking for somthing to go in a box with the kohaku ron finds a very very clean hi utsuri over 60cm, he really is on a roll and ticks another one off his list. As i look over his list i say, that wasnt on your list, you crossed off hi showa and wrote hi usturi and then put a tick next to it, he just replied i know it was just nice and i wanted it, cant argue with that can you! from there to sakai and another fav of mine, the dad is so friendly but now i think he is just there to cast an eye over the son whois know taking over. Im afraid this is where the trip took a bit of a dive and im including this so people realise. One of our group left an imposing kohaku in japan with sakai, we are now told that it has been lost, sakai im told will replace it, and im sure it will be as good or even better as i know he is a manof his word, this obviously doesnt help our customers disapointment but we have been asked to return and discuss when he has harvested later in the week.

This is the risk when you leave a koi in japan, when this happens its nobodys fault and everybodys loss, we just have to work for a good result for our client, which knowing sakai im sure we will.

Arival of the new gang!

nagashima shiro

nagashima show

4 step kohaku at yagenji

rons hi utsuri

Last stop was to suda where i saw a nice showa may be even kage , female , sansai .2 nisai to fill the box , a nice showa also female and a male aigoromo but with an amazing shape , great end to a great day.

kage showa

nisai showa

nisai aigoromo