Tag Archives: colors

Carp Fishing Basics

Colorful Koi Carp

From their humble beginnings as fish food for Chinese rice farmers, these colorful Koi carp were brought to Japan in the 17th century, not only to be cultivated for cheap nutritious food for their own rice farmers, but also for their aesthetic appeal.

The colorful Koi carp are the domesticated varieties of the common carp. In fact, the word Koi comes from the Japanese word meaning “carp” which was where they were bred for the first time around the 1820’s.

Now Koi are considered to be one of the most popular fresh-water pond fish,, and can be found gracing the waters of millions of outdoor ponds all over the world.

They are not only loved for their variety of colors but also for the longevity of their lives.  The longest living Koi ever recorded in history died at the rip old age of two hundred twenty-six.

Koi come in a huge variety of patterns and colors including, red, orange, yellow, black, white, silver or even blue or green. There are potentially thousands of different types of Koi, with about 20 different popular versions. Koi are popular because of their beautiful colors and designs.

Although Koi is simply a carp, modern specimens are products of selective breeding over many generations.  Outside elements such as the environment that they live in and the diet they eat can also affect the color of Koi.

It is easy to understand the patience and skill it took for the first Japanese breeders to develop such a magnificent fish.

Koi are extremely social with other breeds of fish as long as they are not small enough to be eaten by these opportunistic

feeders.  In a smaller pond Koi may seem to school together, but in larger areas they tend to split up into small groups.

Most fish owners understand that most fish will only grow to the size of their enclosure. However, because Koi can grow to be a large fish, they require and thrive in ponds that are about five hundred gallons or more.  

It is important to keep the number of fish in a pond relative to the amount of water that the pond holds.  The depth and size of the pond is extremely important.

A pond that contains a depth of at least four feet provides enough room for the colorful Koi to thrive.  The health of the fish depends a lot upon the amount of space that Koi fish owners provide their fish with.

Koi can be kept outside in the winter. As the winter temperatures begin to drop, the colorful Koi fish will begin their winter hibernation, and their digestive systems will slow almost to a halt.

However, undigested food in their stomachs can grow rancid and could cause the fish to become sick.  Because of this, Koi should not be feed in weather less the fifty degrees Fahrenheit.

Outdoor ponds can be relaxing when the sounds of the rippling water flows through the yard but, no pond is complete without a gorgeous ornamental fish like the Colorful Koi  

Many Koi owners consider themselves lucky to be able to have these fish touch their lives and brighten up their worlds.

Don Miller has been breeding Koi for over 25 years. If you found the article on Koi Care of interest, you will also find further information and articles at the Koi Guide website
http://www.go-to1.com/koi

Fishing Tips

Recreational Fly Fishing

Fish eat bugs, plain and simple. So why not try to catch a fish by mimicking a bug? Thats what fly fishermen have been doing for centuries. Fly fishing began as a method to catch salmonids, which include mostly salmon and trout. Today fishermen use this method to attract a variety of fish ranging from carp to saltwater fish off the coast of Caribbean islands.


Fly fishing differs from traditional lure fishing in a couple of different ways. First of all, the fly fisherman has a longer, lighter rod and a heavier line. The fly fisherman will use his lines weight to cast his incredibly light weight bait: a hand tied fly, whereas lure fisherman will use the weight of their bait to cast their line.


The fly fisherman will aim to mimic a live bug by slapping their line against the water, causing a commotion on the top of the water and hopefully attracting fish to their realistically made flies. The flies come in a variety of colors and styles, ranging from felt and feather construction designs that look like frogs, minnows, and even shrimp. Additionally, flies come in two varieties: dry and wet. The dry fly, like it states, floats on top of the water and does not tip below the waters surface, while the wet fly will find itself submerged underwater thanks to the fishermens drastic cast.


Fly fishing is a genuine art. It takes time, practice, and skill to make the task look both doable and easy. A fly fisherman will start with his rod in front of him. He will hold a length of string in his free hand, and then swing the road behind him, directly to an angle behind his head. Then he will swing the rod forward to an approximate 45 degree angle, allowing the free line to move forward and slap against the water. As stated before, he hopes that this disturbance will mimic that of a bug on the waters surface and draw his food to his line.


Fly fishermen have a variety of methods and terms for casting. Different types of casts are used for different reasons. For example, a fly fisherman may want to use a false cast to draw a different kind of lazy fish to them.


The right kind of fly will also make a difference to a fisherman. Some fisherman scratch their creative itch by creating their own flies while others rely on the experts to tie them the best kind of fish, egg, worm, or mouse for their fly.


Regardless of how they cast or what they use for a fly or even where they fish, every fly fisherman will cite the incredible benefits of fly fishing with relaxation topping out the list.

Resources of fly fishing can be found at: www.excitingflyfishing.comand here

Carp Fishing Basics

The True Story Of The Black Koi Carp Fish

Koi enthusiasts are aware of the great variety of colors and patterns associated with Koi Fish, and Black Koi are not much different to other Koi varieties outside of their coloring. Koi have been know for their incredible extended life span of up to two hundred years, but on average, with proper care and diet, they generally live between twenty-five to thirty-five years. If you have ever wondered how to distinguish the female from the male Koi, the one with the concave anal section is the male. Males Koi might also be recognized by a display of breeding spots or markings on the head. Black Koi fish, like all other Koi, spawn between spring and summer and can yield a result of as many as 1,000 eggs. Fry is the term used for baby Koi. Fry tend to begin emerging within four to seven days. This depends largely on water temperature. Then only after about three to twelve weeks of age do Fry begin to color.

These magnificent fish only came in a few color variations when the Japanese began breeding them from carp mutations. But throughout the years, with more breeding came more color variations and combinations of patterns, marking Koi Fish as a beautiful breed of fish indeed.

Black Koi specifically can mature to a length of thirty-six inches. For this reason, as it is with all Koi, it is a necessity to maintain a large pond for their environment. If a large pond is not manageable, then it is best to keep only a few Koi at a time. One of the first all black mutations, the Magoi species, can mature to an even larger size. In actuality, Black Koi are a rich bronze color but they look black when observed from above. The possibilities in Mogoi size brought about the reintroduction of their blood into other species. This is to maximize and hasten the potential of their growth.

A particular species of Black Koi fish is the Karasu. Karasu is the Japanese meaning “crow”. Like other Koi fish, the Karasu is an extremely old species. It is typically characterized by black fins and a black body, and can also be marked with a white or orange belly.

The environment and their diet directly affect Koi fish color. Typically, Koi will change color going from a duller or brighter shade. It is the Matsukawabake Koi species which posses the ability to change color, and it is the Black Koi that generally displays white areas on its body. However, this Koi Fish can turn completely black or completely white according to season changes or changes in water temperature. But, when conditions change this Koi Fish amazingly returns to its original pattern.

The most popular of the Black Koi species is the Kumonryu, which first appeared in the1980’s. Markings of the Kumonryu reminded some early observers of the bodies of dragons depicted in ancient paintings, while others imagined the fish to look like dragons ascending through white clouds in the sky, thus the meaning of Kumonryu “dragon fish”. These Koi have the ability to change their color in the same manner as the Matsukawabake.

The large variety of colors that Koi come in has been one of the attractions that draws pond owners to Koi, and an even bigger attraction is the idea of owning a fish with the ability to literally change color right before your very eyes. This characteristic is common in some of the Black Koi species.

Get your FREE 10 day Koi Carp Fish Care mini course, today. Michael C. Harris is a Koi specialist. For more great tips on Black Koi, Koi care, breeding and Koi pond construction and maintenance, visit the koi fish school today.