Grading Tosai

[KoiCop]

to the seminars Tony mentioned, some of the better dealers also hold tosai selection seminars.

Granted, they're geared towards promoting sales but don't discount them as a valuable learning experience -- especially so if a noted Japanese breeder will be there to discuss their koi.

[dick benbow]

Don, I can assure you, your "spot-on" with the breeder's comment. No one knows
a koi like the breeder especially if it is from a tried and true breeding pair. They have followed the development of the youngsters and no one is better qualified
to lecture on them.

In my lectures on koi selection i try to get across that bloodlines while important
can only serve as a guide as to what to expect from a koi. The real ability to pick a koi comes from the knowledge and developed eye of the buyer. In other words don't rely on a bloodline name as something to base selection solely on....

Our Mike who started this thread is an avid reader and does a great deal of studying. Great for getting a background. being able to spend time with someone who breeds koi like Mat Mc Cann at nissai koi farm, or spending time
with people who's business is koi and they spend lots of time in japan like Tony and Arthur from Oregon koi can help you get some one on one time with
someone who has learned some knowledge. Try and go during a slow time at the business so they have the time to "invest" in your knowledge. I still think
that mike snaden's website at Yume Koi is a great place to visit to learn from the articles he's written there. I have copies of each one for my library.

Ultimately after everything is said and done you need to spend time with people in your club or region who are sucessful at buying and rearing and showing their koi. To emulate what they are doing will help put you on a faster track toward garnering the knowledge your looking for....