You may not realise it but Asagi are one of the most important varieties in the history of Koi – as the first mutation from the plain black Magoi, all other varieties descended from them. Love or hate Asagi, it’s undeniable that when you see a really good one it will leave a long-lasting impression.
In issue 13 we featured a Beginner’s Corner article on selecting them, and this short blog post features the start of that article. If you’d like to read the full article then check out our issue 13 magazine. It’s available in the back issues section of our online shop.
Although they seem like a relatively simple variety, selecting Asagi in order to get a good long-term prospect can be tricky and there’s very little information out there on what to look for. In my opinion all Koi should be purchased as a long-term prospect and the ultimate skill in selection is finding a Koi whose quality peaks later in life, and therefore will likely last for longer. There are also some variety specific body traits to consider, which if you were following rules for other varieties would lead you to overlook many Asagi as having the wrong qualities from a body perspective.
So, before I really delve into the specifics, I’d like to draw your attention to a saying that I have used many times over the years. That is “Ugly little Koi often make the prettier big Koi, and vice versa.” As with all things Koi related this doesn’t apply in every scenario, but in general it’s a good one to have in mind. Quality takes time to develop and many a good Koi (and many bargains out there) are often missed by not applying this train of thought.
Now, back to Asagi. The best place to start is to look at a top adult example to give you something to aspire to and a guide of what we are looking to achieve in such an example. The Asagi in this picture has just about every quality that you could ever wish for, starting with the body shape (which I will go into detail later on in the article), which in this example is incredible. Not only does it have a very imposing head, but there is really good volume on the body, which is uncharacteristic of the variety. Next, we have the incredible beni quality and pattern which is nicely distributed on the face, in the fins and evenly below the lateral line, the thickness of the colour is also superb. Finally, we have the pattern on the body which is really top class. It’s not too dark, the scale alignment is perfect, fukurin is really well defined and there is even the addition of Kado gin on the edge of each scale. This example really is a dream come true.
Now, the question is how do you get from a small Asagi at tosai to this later in life? Well, the very first thing you need to consider is where the Asagi came from. I’ve already said that they were the next evolution from the plain black Magoi, which tells us there is a lot of black sat within the Koi which will want to come out over time. This happens naturally with age and also as a result of your water conditions. When selecting them at tosai or nisai it is imperative that you choose examples that are light in colour, this could be the point where there are no clear signs on the underlying scale pattern or fukurin. One thing I can guarantee you is that Asagi will darken overtime, whether naturally through age or as a reaction to the water chemistry of your pond. If you start with a really dark Koi then within a year or two it is highly likely that it will over-darken and leave you with a hideous looking fish.
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To read all of this detailed article, order your copy of issue 13 today.
It’s available in the back issues section of our website.