[koiczar]

Quote: Originally Posted by dick benbow I too enjoy the process of educating those trying to learn the art of selecting tosai. I'm waiting to hear back from 2 oregon clubs to put on a program this summer for them. I'm also looking forward to seminars schedule in oregon and washington state in conjunction with shows ( while you judges are doing your thing! ) But I agree that there's nothing like hanging out at the local dealer and watching everyone from the beginner to the intermediate trying to find that perfect koi! I think it's great that we have a few willing to share their knowledge....wish they'd have been there when I first started......LOL

Dick and Ray

I agree, it's a lot of fun watching newbies at a dealers, standing over a tosai tank (usually 6/100 or 25 each trying to decide if they can find the "diamond in the rough". Dick, I was fortunate enough to have a Japanese breeder in my area that took me under his wing 30 years ago and taught me how to look at his tosai. He retired around 2000 and I sorely miss his friendship and knowledge. He reminds me a little of Toshio Sakai in that he loved to teach, if you were a willing student and didn't fail his future testing of your knowledge retention. He was a little more forgiving than Toshio is though - LOL

Anyway, I feel I have since graduated from tosai. I don't spend time looking at them unless their from a breeder's top stock like Sakai or Maruyama or the like. It's just near impossible to find something worth growing out for the long run, unless you're not as discriminating a buyer!

Mike