Florida fish Merle's male

[mitten]

Howdy-

After a visit to the CFKS web site this morning I lifted this pic while nobody was looking.

This fish has been at several shows and I've seen it a couple times. I love it. Dismissed offhandedly by some (most?) as "just a male" it still impresses the heck out of me. It is not huge, 25" maybe, and certainly does not have any voluptuousness, but still for me has elegance and charm as a sanke. For all I know the flowery pattern may be the equivilent of a liesure suit and the sumi that laces the white could be like the cocked hat of a blowhard. Doesn't matter to me. Cool fish.

Different times I've quizzed folks who may have known something about this fish, but I don't remember all the details. I'm hoping that maybe some of the Florida Gents could refresh me on the known details of the fish's age and size, any history, a bit about the pond where it is kept and maybe some info about Merle.

Nosy bugger, eh? I hope to just ask Merle all of this in March, but I sure would like to hear about it again now. Am I dressing up a foggy memory to think that there is a bit of resemblence to the sanke Doris? Any more, better pics?

Mickey the windowman

[Russell Peters]

Quote: Originally Posted by mitten Howdy- After a visit to the CFKS web site this morning I lifted this pic while nobody was looking. This fish has been at several shows and I've seen it a couple times. I love it. Dismissed offhandedly by some (most?) as "just a male" it still impresses the heck out of me. It is not huge, 25" maybe, and certainly does not have any voluptuousness, but still for me has elegance and charm as a sanke. For all I know the flowery pattern may be the equivilent of a liesure suit and the sumi that laces the white could be like the cocked hat of a blowhard. Doesn't matter to me. Cool fish. Different times I've quizzed folks who may have known something about this fish, but I don't remember all the details. I'm hoping that maybe some of the Florida Gents could refresh me on the known details of the fish's age and size, any history, a bit about the pond where it is kept and maybe some info about Merle. Nosy bugger, eh? I hope to just ask Merle all of this in March, but I sure would like to hear about it again now. Am I dressing up a foggy memory to think that there is a bit of resemblence to the sanke Doris? Any more, better pics? Mickey the windowman

To me, it is a shame that it is "just a male" because having more volume would put this Koi over the top for me. It is still quite nice, "for a male".

[keokoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by mitten Howdy- Nosy bugger, eh? I hope to just ask Merle all of this in March, but I sure would like to hear about it again now. Am I dressing up a foggy memory to think that there is a bit of resemblence to the sanke Doris? Any more, better pics? Mickey the windowman

Good Morning Mickey,

This fish of Merle's was either won or Purchased from Kevin at the (back then AFKAPS) Florida show. I think this was the Raffle koi that Kevin Donated or Merle purchased it.

Anyhow this Sanke is from Momotaro and Merle got it at around 11 inches. I guess Merle grew that fish very nice and kept up the condition. Its a nice koi..

I picked out a Momotaro Maruten Kohak for Don Hillard when I was in Florida I wonder how that is doing...

Joe

[kingkong]

I thought that koi looked familiar. Yes, I saw it at the Orlando Show. I liked it then and I like it more now!

[Clay]

I also know that the girls rule the roost but a nice male is still a nice fish. I enjoy the pattern on this particular fish as well. Love the tsubo sumi placement.

When I blew up the picture in my viewer, the shiroji looks very stressed indeed. If this is the normal condition of the white I would pass on this one, if the fish is stressed I might need to reconsider. Some white fish really pink up under show conditions. I remember a friend that had one the best examples of a shiro Utsuri that I have personally seen. The fish would really pink up at the shows though and did not always put her best foot forward. When fish are considered as show contendors it is nice to see how they will react to the show tank. This is not a standard reaction in that each fish is an individual in this respect.

Rick

[MikeM]

Mick: Joe has the story right. It was won in a raffle. Merle raised it in an approx. 5500 gal. system... liner pond with bottom drain and a series of filter chambers with a variety of matting etc for biofiltration. Merle recently moved to Lakeland and is planning to be active in both the Orlando and Tampa clubs. While he gets around to building a new pond, his koi are in an above-ground swimming pool modified for filtration.... 16' diameter if I recall correctly.

BTW, for the 2007 show, Kevin is donating another koi for raffle or auction. Hesays it will be "a nice one".

[mitten]

Aha, a couple of the Florida Gents have come through with info I was seeking. I never remember that Joe is a California Gent who's everywhere but I shoulda. Thanks also to the Gent from Wisconsin. I remember this skin being a bit creamy but not pink, Clay, so this pic must have been from Friday last year. Seldom do I remember fish from a show; I'm no Aquitori, but this sanke and Henry's I do.

I was fishing a little and MikeM probably realizes this. The way I remember first hearing about this fish, maybe from Mike or Henry, was that it was raised in a small pond that had had its filtration modified and added to repeatedly for improvement. This pleased me, thinking a bit like "dreams can come true, and it can happen to you." I've even used this story on myself to reenergize my efforts when things just hadn't gone well. The effect of this fish on me will not diminish because it was raised in a 5500g pond, unlike the small pond of memory, nor because it's a male. All of us have seen Momo fish progress in a disappointing way, there's one in my pond, but I still get a boost just knowing this fish was grown by a regular guy in a regular pond.

Mickey the windowman

[keokoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by mitten Aha, a couple of the Florida Gents have come through with info I was seeking. I never remember that Joe is a California Gent who's everywhere but I shoulda.

Thanks Mickey.... hopefully I will be able to book some time aside to head out to Florida and spend some time with Koi kichi Tropical friends...

Joe