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The Koi That Reeled Me In

by Elmer Epistola

Posted: September 13, 2004

   

      

 

These are NOT my koi, but I wish they were.  Owning koi like these is but a dream for me, and will probably remain so in years to come.   These koi may not be the best of the best, but they are my sentimental favorites for the simple reason that they were the ones that pulled me into the hobby.

 

I've kept fish since I was 5 years old.  My koi pond is now almost a decade old.  However, I only went into serious koi keeping in 2000, when I chanced upon a store in Cartimar called 'Kois and Ponds' (not related to this website).  There they were - authentic Japanese nishikigoi, in amazingly brilliant colors and incredibly enormous sizes.  I was hooked immediately.  It was also my first time to see ponds with such crystal-clear water, and wondered how I've managed to enjoy my green pond in all those years.   

 

Back then, the price of even their cheapest koi was not justifiable to me - 700 pesos, or about USD 20.00.  A fish is a fish is a fish, so I don't know why I had to pay so much for them.  But now I know that the answer to that was really simple - because I liked them.

  

For weeks I regularly visited the store, until one day I finally had the guts to buy three (3)  5-inch koi.  They were all Sanke, but at that time I didn't even know that koi had fancy Japanese names.  All I cared for were the colors. 

 

Then a lady from the store gave me this beautiful brochure entitled 'Varieties of Nishikigoi.'  I flipped the cover and immediately saw pictures of what excellent koi really look like. That's when I knew that I'll be in this hobby for the rest of my life. 

     

Without the brochure, or the koi in it for that matter, this website will probably not exist.  As a tribute to these koi, therefore, I'm posting their pictures here (I do hope their owners wouldn't mind), in the hope that more people will be reeled in by these koi, just like me 4 years ago.  So sit back, get your pellets, and enjoy...

                    

                  

     

     
     
 

 

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