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closeKoi get weekend in the spotlight at annual show
puyallup koi and Puget Sound Koi Club team up for weekend dedicated to the expensive, popular fish
Nate Hulings
The Puget Sound Koi Club (PSKC) held its 11th annual show last weekend at Hoshi Koi in Puyallup, bringing together local koi owners for judging and raffles.
While attendance was fairly light, the enthusiasm of those present wasn’t hard to find.
Kent resident Trev Dakan, 39, attended the annual koi show because he wanted to talk with other owners and get a look at the fascinating fish. He also joked around that while it might appear strange that a middle-aged man would be interested in fish, Dakan said he’s been raising koi for 15 years and loves the peaceful serenity of watching them swim.
“I think the draw for men is wanting to perfect the fish’s environment,” Dakan said.
The main event Saturday was the young koi judging. The koi showed were small in size, split into 8-inch and under and 8- to 10-inch categories. Since each tank held more than one fish, pictures accompanied individual fish. Volunteers helped “wrangle” the fish for three judges who bounced between 12 tanks and 65 fish coming from 40 different varieties. The koi were judged separately by size and variety. Each fish was individually taken out of the larger tanks and placed into smaller holding pans for close observation. The trained judges then looked at the color, quality and coloring patterns to determine placing.
The term koi and carp are used interchangeably but not all koi are bred the same and some have very distinct color patterns. While some koi being judged were entirely orange with small white spots, others were black and white and had more defined patterns.
One wrangler volunteer was Frank Douglas, a member of the PSKC for three years and a koi owner. He echoed the sentiments of Dakan as to why he became interested in koi.
“It’s relaxing to be at home, watching the fish,” Douglas said.
The weekend event dedicated to koi was also a good chance for people interested in learning more about the challenges and benefits of raising koi to get more information, PSKC President Frank Hillstrom said.
“The education (at these events) that people get is huge,” Hillstrom said.
Hillstrom also acknowledged that koi make wonderful pets and are even comparable to man’s best friend.
“With these fish, you can hand-feed them and caress them. Each one is like a puppy dog with different characteristics.”
Hillstrom’s love for koi started 22 years ago when he put a 300-gallon pond in his backyard. Now the enthusiast owns 27 fish and built a 4,700-gallon pond complete with a bridge that can hold up to six people.
Environmental issues continue to be a major concern for Hillstrom when he puts on koi shows. Since disease can spread so easily through water, extra precautions are taken when transporting and holding fish for judging.
The health of the fish is also top priority at shows where koi come in from multiple owners. Tarps were hung between holding tanks to minimize splashing and each tank also had its own net to minimize the chance of cross-contamination. While cases of disease spreading is uncommon, Hillstrom said, the huge financial investment people make in raising koi increases precautions.
The price of one koi, determined by size and color variations, can be anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars.
The event was hosted at Hoshi Koi in Puyallup for the fifth consecutive year. Hoshi Koi sells fish products and also sells many variety of koi along with catfish and goldfish.