honest opinions welcome and not so rare

[Gail]

Quote: Originally Posted by MikeM Do not be unduly concerned by the light "outlining" of the scales in the Hi on Brady's fish. It is often an indication of immature Hi in his breeding, not fading/weakness. There is a softness to the Hi on his fish that gives an impression of velour... that can become velvet as the fish matures. He produces a different Beni, has a different vision. His fish do not get the "big-boned" angularity of the some of the Japanese lines. Instead, there is a supple, softness that makes his koi unique.

See, I didn't know that! Very interesting.

[carrie1964]

So bear with me on this question which may seem obvious to you all....I see every point made about the koi. Things I never would have picked up on my own. What is an ideal tail stop in a Kohaku? What should I be looking for?

[Brutuscz]

The ideal tail stop is an area of shiroji before the tail. No beni leading up to the tail at all. Here is what I consider to be a perfect tail stop. So, there is white on the nose...balanced by the base of the tail.

[carrie1964]

Quote: Originally Posted by Brutuscz The ideal tail stop is an area of shiroji before the tail. No beni leading up to the tail at all. Here is what I consider to be a perfect tail stop. So, there is white on the nose...balanced by the base of the tail.

See..I didn`t know that Thanks!

[Russell Peters]

Quote: Originally Posted by Brutuscz The ideal tail stop is an area of shiroji before the tail. No beni leading up to the tail at all. Here is what I consider to be a perfect tail stop. So, there is white on the nose...balanced by the base of the tail.

This will hold true on most Kohaku, but there are always exceptions to the rule. One being that if a Kohaku has very high quality', conformation and has a very powerful pattern and is, let's say in the 85cm - 90cm range, then beni to the base of the tail is certainly and without a doubt over looked.

[Brutuscz]

Lots of things are overlooked at 90cm But..I definitely agree, overall quality is where it's at!!

[PapaBear]

I like the overall look of the fish, but it does have a few "technical" demerits. The tailstop is one already mentioned, also the tailtube is a bit unbalanced with the rest of the body. The skull seems to indicate some future growth potential, so the tail tube needs to be strengthened for it to have a symmetrical form. Very nice shiroji, and the beni I just don't know enough about as I haven't studied enough of Brady's Kohaku to make any predictions. What I can say is that the scales do appear to have dark centers, which I take as a good sign of better things to come.
BTW, I too am glad I found this place. I've learned more here about quality than most forums can begin to offer.

[dinh]

Quote: Originally Posted by Brutuscz The ideal tail stop is an area of shiroji before the tail. No beni leading up to the tail at all. Here is what I consider to be a perfect tail stop. So, there is white on the nose...balanced by the base of the tail.

It is called odome. I love kohaku with nice odome. But please note that it is just a very minor point indeed.

--Dinh

[Richard Rombold]

I too appreciate the honesty of this board. The critiques and comparisons are price less. Posting pics of my fish again may get me booted off KB, but the value of your collective critique is the main reason I began posting here to begin with. I am deeply grateful for those who are willing to share their time and experience to help me learn.

[Brady Brandwood]

Here’s some more info. to give you some clarity with this thread. The beni on Carrie's Kohaku is EXACTLY where it should be at the age and sex (female) (18 months old - photo at harvest)


Here is a photo progression of another female Kohaku of the same lineage and very closely related to Carrie's Kohaku. The left pic is about 20 months (same age as Carrie's pics), and the middle pic is at 3 yrs, and right pic is at 5 years. Notice how the beni thickens, expands, and consolidates over the years. Also, if we look closely at the left pic we can see the spacing between the scales. This indicates this fish will display fukurin type skin when it matures more. A desireable charactistic of fukurin is its presentation of color,... fatty skin holds and presents color better than skin over scales. This comes into play later when the Koi has grown large, and is one of the features that adds a look of higher quality or class in a larger Koi,... Beni like this expands, flexes, and holds its own well on a 30” + frame,... though to the untrained eye it can look insipid or questionable at younger ages. (more below)



The body stays somewhat thin over the 1st few years, then bulks up later. This produces a female later in life that maintains a good strong body,... and doesn’t show an eggy belly, even in Spring. Her Grandmother was 36” or 90+ cm. Carrie's Kohaku has excellent growth potential genetically,... AND has beni charactistics that will allow it to maintain high quality color after large growth.

Patterning at this point is not such an issue with Carrie's Kohaku,... as the coloration is not ready for the show ring anyway. The timeline of development of the patterning is in line with the timeline of development of the beni,... both will come together well on a large frame,... about 6 to 8 years from now,... with good care every single day. The tail stop is not “ideal”,... BUT is only one of many points. The Sanke that was just chosen Grand Champion of the Central Florida Koi Show has a similar tail stop,... and it didn’t stop that incredible fish from being awarded the highest honor. Anyone got a pic of that fish?

It’s difficult making accurate predictions or offering opinions based solely on a photo, with no back information. Also, a photo is only a frozen moment in a Koi's life - a looonnng journey of development - immaturity,... peak beauty,... and decline. Was the photo taken at the beginning of the journey? Or at the end of the journey? Should make a difference.

Best Wishes,
Brady Brandwood