 You're welcome, Richard
Yes, Nepenthe does have a nice presence indeed. She reminds me of an earthy elemental such as Virgo or Taurus--strong and solid in build but ever so serene, thoughtful and calm in her actions. Unlike the Tigerlily, who was so dynamic and imposing to the others that everyone hid in a corner when she was launched, Nepenthe glided calmly into the pond and everyone flocked to her immediately. Her calming influence on the pond was remarkable and well appreciated by the whole community she has joined.
But wouldn't it be a tad boring if every fish you produced were cookie-cutter the same as the last? I'm not talking consistent high quality here; that is something well worth the effort to achieve and should be the mission of every serious breeder. I'm talking about types within the variety, the quintessential ingredient of uniqueness and charisma that places one fish above another in its variety once quality is (for the most part) an established element of the bloodline being built.
So when it is time to choose the keepers and cull the mundane and deformed, the eye must necessarily wander towards the element of quality that is the sigil of the breeder's art--even if it's only a handful of koi out of a million. Your eye has served you well over the years...
In my pond I have different representatives of the quality you are unwaveringly producing, interesting subjects to study and admire. Scaleage has always fascinated me and you have provided me with a banquet of differing scales to wonder at, from a simple flat scale to the extreme of convex pearl scale and the effect they have on the presentation of color--and every one of them is marked with the elements of quality you must have myopically envisioned and measured against each and every fish at each and every cull.
No keito? Keito is a shared trait or trademark within a bloodline, is it not? Your fish characteristically have a glowing shiroji ground that can make even the worst pattern or conformation look good, it is so flawless and pure. I would think that this would be your first keito attributed to the bloodline you're building with your Kohaks (since I am most familiar with them), if keito indeed embraces more than conformation alone.
I'm no expert on koi but I have a critical eye for quality, and I have to tell you, the addition of Matsunosuke genes to your breeding program gets me all goose-pimply with anticipation.
The expression "Pretty fish to pretty fish" in this instance couldn't be more apropo....
Marie
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