Soragoi

[MikeM]

I have been thinking about Soragoi again. Virtually all I see have a yellowish head. I have seen photos in magazines on occasion with soft blue-gray heads, but I do not think I've seen one in person without the head having what I consider a "color problem", but usually I am looking at tosai or nisai. Chagoi seem to get all the attention among the kawarimuji, but Soragoi appeal to me. Here are two to contemplate. One is tosai and the other is nisai. They are nearly the same size. Do the yellowish heads turn gray in time, or do you get what you see?

[Sangreaal]

I'm beginning to believe that you get what you see with Soragoi, Mike. When I picked mine last year, I was purposefully going for the bluest I could find. He had only a slight hint of gold on the head, but as you can see from this pic, the gold extends down his sides as well, and into his fins.



In the summer he is darker blue with indigo netting and the gold gets bronzer and more pronounced. 7" last fall, he's about 10" now.

I am wondering if Soragoi like this come from a failed Ochiba spawn. I've seen grey-headed soragoi in my shopping (all tosai) but passed on them because they did not have a conformation I could live with or the blue shade I was looking for. They were all grey, not a hint of blue anywhere, and very narrow fish.

I like the color of the ginrin you posted, but the body of the second fish looks better. Neither appear to be the quality that I think you'd like to see in your pond. Mine isn't even good enough, and he's actually a pretty fish in person...

Marie

[JasPR]

Mike, you don't see many offered because soragoi is a base stock fish and not a show fish ( unless it is in the jumbo size). Those are not great examples of the breed you have there?
When the Japanese say they 'like' soragoi, they mean they are 'delicious'! JR

[JasPR]

to a great degree soragoi is really appreciated today only as a cross with kohaku - pretty classy little fish-

[Super Kindai]

She used to be a nice looking Ochiba when I bought her at Tosai

[Super Kindai]

The head color was like this "Blue-gray" when I bought her at 2 years. since then it does not change much......

[MikeM]

Yep, JR, Soragoi are under-appreciated. ...Is that Goshiki or Ochiba?...or a Hosakai "Goshiki Ochiba"?

Super: You'll appreciate that some time ago DickB advised me that to get a really nice Soragoi, I needed to get an Ochiba and hope the "leaves" fade away.

Marie: Yes, the ones I posted are not ones in which I'm interested, but they show the head color issue. BTW, the Gin Rin with the messy head is the nisai. The tosai has the most yellow tone, and will be an impressive goi in the pond of someone not as fixated on light blue-gray heads.

Oh, JR, elsewhere you were echoing "Igarashi". Here's one he considered Ochiba.

[JasPR]

Hi Mike, yep that is the modern Ochiba cross- kohaku and soragoi. JR

[Super Kindai]

Here is the Super-modern Ochiba cross. it's called "Yellow Leaves"

[mitten]

Here's mine, Mike. From Brady. Now 4, I think. She is on vacation at Luke's.

Bought for color and shape, she does get pretty gray at times, but not yellow. Often she is pleasantly blue. She is stealing Mr. Frisbee's heart with her lanwmower trick. She'll swim across the pond half way out of the water if she thinks there is food, and then keep suckin it up until its gone. Like many fish from Brady, you can pet her.