Afternoon with A & C - visits to Nogami and Shintaro

I wasn't able to join up with Jos and the others from A & C until lunchtime due to other commitments this morning.

Having met at the Gusto restaurant we headed for an appointment at Nogami whose tosai we saw here a week or so ago - http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/717. 

As mentioned previously the breeders generally like to stop feeding before netting a pond however a sample was netted out and arrangements made to return to Nogami later in the week so Jos could hand select some of the tosai available.

A 4pm appoitment had been made to visit Hide Hirasawa to look at his Doitsu, for which we were early, a number of other breeders are already scheduled for the rest of the week, and Jos asked where else was worth a look.  Somewhere not on the scheduled list was Shintaro and having an idea of the sort of thing that Jos was after suggested it worth a quick pop up to Mushigame to take a look although to be honest I wasn't sure whether these tosai would currently be offered for sale.

Jos liked what he saw and was interested in picking some to which Saito san agreed.  I'd forgotten it was Saito san's birthday, he was clearly in the birthday spirit.

The pond was netted and Jos and Marco started selecting through, finally settling on 20 Gosanke, Jos delighted with what he saw.

This was perhaps my personal number 1 from those selected.

In the adjacent pond Jos spotted a couple more Tancho Showa and enquired if they were available.  Again Saito san agreed to net the pond so Jos could take a closer look at them and again they were to his liking and duly purchased.  The 4pm appointment with Hide was looking in doubt.

Moving along to pond number 2 containing mainly Sanke and some of the larger tosai Jos again asked if he could pick some from that pond.  I was sure that Jos was pushing his luck now but Saito san agreed that he could pick out 2 Koi.  Jos picked out 3 and couldn't decide on which 2, Saito san agreed to let him have all 3, he really was in the birthday spirit!

Unfortunately a tinge in the water combined with these light coloured bowls which are horrible for photographing Koi means the pictures do the Koi no justice.

Pond number 1 contained 2 Tancho Sanke and Jos enquired if they were available.  Saito san mulled on it for a few minutes and again agreed to net the pond so Jos could take a closer look at them.  Whilst he decided against the Tancho's I netted out a couple of Sanke that me and Jos had been discussing.  I was sure there was no way Saito san would sell these and he'd be cursing me for netting them out.

Jos asked the price on one and much to my amazement Saito san quoted one and the deal was done to purchase this Sanke below, again the water and bowl do it no justice.

Jos wanted to briefly interview Saito san about the bloodlines of the Koi so we took coffee.  On departure Jos very happy with his purchases stated that whilst it was Saito san's birthday he felt like he was the one that had got the presents, Jos happy to have some jumbo tosai in the bag.

I'm unsure where we are off to tomorrow but be sure to check back.