BLOODLINES: Manzo Kohaku

Until recently, the Manzo Kohaku, with its rich red hi and lustrous white, was what most Koi aficionados thought of when they thought of Kohaku. Every breeder, including Dainichi, has used the Manzo bloodline in hopes of capturing these qualities. Dainichi succeeded, which is one reason why his Kohaku became so great. Many breeders have tried and failed to put the Manzo red on the great Sensuke body. Perhaps this is the Kohaku of the future. This is not to say that the Manzo body is weak. The Manzo, just out of the mud pond, has quite a good body, wide, broad shoulders, and a hump that is a Manzo trademark. Also, a wide face and pointed nose, as well as the thick girth that, unlike the Sensuke, can easily become paunchy with overfeeding. Often fish over 34 inches in length and still the red is quite remarkable - deep and rich in color.

A young, three year old Manzo, is already a heart breaker. The inazuma, or lightning-shaped pattern crossing down the back of those developing shoulders, is quite a sight. At the Sensuke red is a pasty persimmon orange, the Manzo red is a thick (what we sometimes call lipstick), obscenely gaudy rouge on a snowy field of white.

In 1992, on a trip to Japan, Inhappened into a dealer's store named Sakuma. It my understanding that he had bought the surviving Manzo parents from the original Manzo breeder in Nigata, and I had been hearing for quite a while that you haven't really seen red until you've "feasted" your eyes on Sakuma Manzo. So here I was at Sakuma's, and it was quite a feast.

The sterling qualities of this bloodline are unmistakenly visible: the powerful, young body; the deep, thick red; and the tint of red that leaves most in awe. It is a devastatingly beautiful fish.

Perhaps, to some, I was nuts to fly halfway around the world to look at the red markings on a fish, but, the red of Manzo thick, rich, velvety red like no other - left me with no regrets.