Next weekend, a big koi event takes place, The All European ZNA Belgian Koi Show. The name has had a slight tweak from last year, but it's the same organisers and venue I attended and covered in Volume Three of the magazine. It's a colossal show, and I had a great time visiting. So, as we're only a week away, I thought I'd share an extract from the article featured in Volume Three to give you some background and context and maybe even tempt you to pay a visit. Enjoy some free Sunday reading koi-folk...   In Bruges - well, almost.  At the beginning of January 2023, I got invited ..read more

Hello Koi Keepers,  March is drawing to an end, Easter is under way and hopefully some warmer weather is on the horizon. Spring is coming - fingers crossed! We typically find ourselves at a pivotal point in our seasonal preparations, as the days begin to lengthen and temperatures gradually rise. It’s a crucial transition period for both koi and keeper and it requires a keen eye for observation. Yes, it's time to carefully assess the health and condition of our pond and koi, perform water quality checks, and initiate spring cleaning to ensure an optimal environment as our koi’s activity l ..read more

I blinked, and a month flew by - how was it for you?! Hopefully, everyone's ponds and koi are ‘weathering’ the winter well. Heated or not, remember to keep a pond management routine going and take time to observe your koi. Observation is THE greatest weapon in a koi keeper's arsenal, so keep those eyes on the ball.  Unfortunately, we’re still in the depths of quiet-time in the UK koi hobby and industry, but if you look closely, there’s fun to find. Of course, the All Japan Koi Show took place at the end of January (it was awesome!), and social media got flooded with content about the bes ..read more

Happy New Year!  I hope you’ve all had a fantastic time over Christmas, celebrating however you like best. I took some time to recharge after getting the latest volume of the magazine out to subscribers. These things never last long, and my brain was soon whirring with ideas for 2024. Typical! Winter often sees us starved of social koi events, but a handful of dealers invite customers to their premises over Christmas and New Year to check out their new koi stocks. On the 30th of December, Avenue Fisheries held one of its many open days. The company has been a loyal advertiser since day d ..read more

Presenting... The Major Awards for the All England Koi Show - 2023 *Dealer and Breeder info to be added as it comes through to me Grand Champion Owner: Luke Warren Kohaku // 80cm // Dainichi // Select Nishikigoi Superior Champion & Ron Rance Trophy Owner: Andy Baker Sanke // 80cm // Sakai Fish Farm // Koi Water Barn Best Non Go-Sanke Owner: Luke Warren Tancho // 80cm // Matsue // Yume Koi Japan Mature Champion Owner: Paul Williams Showa // 74cm // Ueno // Yume Koi Japan Adult Champion Owner: Emma & Phil David Sanke // 64cm // Sakai // Yume Koi Japan Young Champion Owner: Karen To ..read more

The All England Koi Show 2023 will take place this weekend (23rd/24th), and being the last show of the season, I wanted to do my bit to give a final push and highlight what our koi shows offer. Despite being one of the biggest shows on the UK Koi Calendar, like every other show, the AEKS isn't immune to failure and low attendance. Koi Shows survive by having paying feet on the ground because events on this scale are expensive and put pressure on the volunteers and clubs. One bad year and a show could go bye-bye. In light of this, I thought I'd share my full show report from the 2021 AEKS. Som ..read more

Once again the Mid Staffs Koi Society delivered a thoroughly enjoyable koi show with a friendly atmosphere, and some stunning koi on display. All the volunteers had done a sterling job putting on the show and manning the event. The condition of the koi and water is worth a particular mention, as the water team were 'on it' and it showed. They were very happy koi. Many thanks to the Mid Staffs for all their effort and the judges for giving up their time and travelling from all corners of the UK. Congratulations to everyone who exhibited! Presenting... The Major Awards for the 2023 Mid Staffs K ..read more

Presenting... Best in Class Awards The 2023 Great British Koi Show * Breeder and Dealer info will be added as it comes through to me. Best in Class (irrespective of size) Kohaku Wayne Taylor Kohaku // 74cm // Okawa // Yume Koi Japan Sanke Owner: Craig McNish Sanke // 60cm // Sakai Fish Farm // Queni Koi Showa Craig Rendall Showa // 74cm // Ogata // Dock Koi Utsurimono Owner: Carl Morrison Shiro Utsuri // 72cm // Omosako // Yume Koi Japan Bekko Owner: David Tramner Bekko // 52cm // Suetsugu // Koi Masters Tancho Owner: Carl Morrison Tancho Showa // 63cm // Dainichi // Absolute Koi Kin G ..read more

Its second year running and the GBKS provided koi lovers with another great event to socialise, grab a bargain and immerse themselves in all things nishikigoi. Organisers had tweaked a few things from last year to make improvements (including a trickle-in system) and even made the footprint 50% bigger. Hat's off to everyone involved, from the show team, build team, sponsors, exhibitors and judges - another positive weekend in the world of koi! More to follow, but congratulations to every exhibitor! P.s. Many thanks to Geoff Winn & Aaron Eden for their help. Presenting... The Major Awards ..read more

The North England Koi Show took place on the 12th/13th of August and saw some great koi being exhibited by both veterans and newcomers alike. It's a smaller-scale show than our national events, but the show team and club put huge effort into delivering a very enjoyable weekend focussed on top-notch koi welfare. This year, a few new additions included a coffee bar, an ice cream van, an even bigger raffle and some competitions for the youngsters. I know the show chairman Craig McNish already has cogs whirring about how to tweak and improve next year's show - which is how it should be, always mo ..read more