What do you think of this Showa

[MikeM]

Very nice body and acceptable pattern. Gives the impression of becoming a hulk, which I like. Issues are Beni and Sumi... quality of neither can be evaluated well in a photo. With Isa, I'd not agonize over the Sumi too much. Be aware that you need to be patient. It could be 3 more years to really see what she has. Very likely the Sumi is a positive or I don't think Isa would have kept her to become nisai. He seems very focused on Sumi quality IMO. My concern is really with the red pigment. It appears to be Showa-type Beni, not Kohaku-type. It develops differently and is harder to evaluate, even in person (at least for me). I would not assume that the Hi will thicken over time, but I would assume that it will tighten up around the edges and deepen in color tone. I would prefer to rely on someone who has seen her in person to evaluate the Beni. She seems fairly priced based on what I see. [There is another there whose Beni looks better in the web photo (who knows?), but the price is more as well.]

[Super Kindai]

This Isa Showa got the best in size 75 BU award at the regional koi show which is pretty high level in Japan last weekend.

........Just for your reference

[k.tran]

the showa is really nice! if i had money i would buy it... too bad huh?

[dick benbow]

I was very impressed with the showa. If I saw anything that made me just a bit anxious was the exaggerated hump behind the head. I'm sensitive to this issue with shiro and showa as when they get older they look stumpy to me.
The showa's picture I attached is one of mine from toshio sakai and has quite a different body line which is what I prefer personally. Still, don't misunderstand what I'm saying here. ken knows how to pick fish for his customers, Isa certainly knows how to breed showa, and Nancy certainly knows how to fill in info that pictures don't quite tell the story with....

[MikeM]

Excellent points, Dick. The evaluation of a 'hump' as bad, good or indifferent is troublesome for me. If there is a significant hump in a young fish, I am never sure if it is an indicator of a stumpy adult, or if it is the effect of lots of food being stored as reserves due to the fish being raised in cooler water. JR was making a point about this in a conversation at the NKF harvest when something came up and I was not able to discuss it further with him.

When I get to see photos of very large (long) koi when they were tosai, it is typical that they are long and a bit on the thin side. All the nutrition is going into growing longer. The same fish as nisai coming out of the mud can be fatter than could have been imagined, with a bulky shoulder, but not not necessarily a 'hump'.

You may recall "Vamp", the Marusada Showa I got a few years ago. (There's a thread on this board some place.) She had a huge hump as nisai. There is no sign of it today. She is a streamlined fish with a deep magoi-type body, and the look of being a bit underfed because she does not hold eggs or fat on her sides. I suspect she would re-develop a hump if in a mudpond for a full season.

Altogether, very difficult for me to 'read the future' of such fish. I kinda have the sense that if the head proportions are large, the 'hump' is not so much of a concern on one straight out of the mud, that they may well grow out of it; but if the head proportions are average or 'pointy', the 'hump' is more of a concern.

So..... how about correcting my confusion?

[Sterling]

Thanks for everyone's comments.

[Sterling]

I ended up selecting this Dainichi Showa instead. She's an 18" Nisai. In this last picture you can see another that I was looking at. It was a little smaller and it conformation wasn't as nice. Please let me know what you think of her future...

[koiczar]

Sterling

I like your style. You made a very nice selection. Looking at both showas in the last pic, I wouldn't eliminate either. I probably would have bought both just to watch how they develop. Course, then, I would be homeless as well - LOL!!!

My concern on the fish you purchased is the odome hi plate. I think it might just be the picture, but it looks weaker than the other beni plates. I think you made the right choice however, as looking at both these fish, your's appears to have a lot of growth left to give over the next few years and the color development is right at about the same speed. Good luck and glad Santa brought you what you wanted.

Mike

[Sterling]

Quote: Originally Posted by koiczar Sterling I like your style. You made a very nice selection. Looking at both showas in the last pic, I wouldn't eliminate either. I probably would have bought both just to watch how they develop. Course, then, I would be homeless as well - LOL!!! My concern on the fish you purchased is the odome hi plate. I think it might just be the picture, but it looks weaker than the other beni plates. I think you made the right choice however, as looking at both these fish, your's appears to have a lot of growth left to give over the next few years and the color development is right at about the same speed. Good luck and glad Santa brought you what you wanted. Mike

Mike,

Thanks for your reply! I was concerned with the odome hi plate as well and the dealer and I spoke extensively about it. She's missing scales in that area, probably from harvesting. The dealer was pretty certain the the scales with grow back and the beni will thicken with the scales. A local judge also inspected the fish and observed the same findings. He also selected this fish out of the others due to body conformation. I guess that I have to admit that I had some help...

Jay

[saratogatan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sterling Mike, Thanks for your reply! I was concerned with the odome hi plate as well and the dealer and I spoke extensively about it. She's missing scales in that area, probably from harvesting. The dealer was pretty certain the the scales with grow back and the beni will thicken with the scales. A local judge also inspected the fish and observed the same findings. He also selected this fish out of the others due to body conformation. I guess that I have to admit that I had some help... Jay

I have paid my due in this hobby. I'll take no dealer's word on things like this. I have a showa that lost a couple of scales. I have counted more than 1400 days and nothing has 'grown back'. Maybe they will after 14000 days.

stan