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Day 2, Sun, Oct 13, Koda Koi Farm
Mr. Hoshino and his son are pulling the siphon hose up to the Kumonryu pond that we will pull next Tuesday. They need to get the water lowering started now since it will take a couple of days for the water to drop to the right level. I can’t wait for that pull—a pond with nothing but kumonryu!

This is a yonsai pond (four-year-old koi). The larger koi require a larger pond. This pond will require a seine net so that we can safely harvest the large koi without them grounding in the thick Niigata mud at the bottom of the pond.

Step one is to carry the large and heavy seine net to the water’s edge.

Mr. Hoshino ties the bottom line of the seine to his boot. This enables him to keep the weights on the bottom of the net low so the sneaky koi don’t get around the net.

Mr. Hoshino very slowly circles the perimeter to keep the net on the bottom and not spook the koi. Notice the mud trail in the water from the thick mud stirred up on the bottom.

It takes time and strength to slowly pull the net around while your feet are deep in the mud. He's a little more than half way. The two red floats are the center of the net.

Once the loop is made the net is slowly pulled in to corral the koi. Here Mr. Hoshino’s father-in-law, Syosaku, pulls in on the right end.

Mr. Hoshino pulls on the left end.

The next step is to push rebar into the mud and tie up the net so the koi can’t jump over the net while we harvest them. The barrier is almost complete.

Mr. Hoshino is filling the large bowl with cleaner water from the deeper undisturbed area of the pond to put the koi in.

Back at the greenhouse, Syosaku studies the harvest prior to moving them to the greenhouse.

Each koi is individually checked for anchor worms, treated and released.