Goodbye to my first fishing friend.

Ken (Wannabe on FishingKaki) was one of my first real fishing kakis. I got to know the kid through the forums when i was but still a humble Blur Sotong.

I thought I could write some nice memories about the guy but the truth is, it was a long time ago.


What I do remember though was that he was a good kid. Cheeky but good. Knowing where the boundaries were and sensitive to people's moods, he would often beam us a smile and let me tell you, he probably coined the phrase 'grinning from ear to ear'.


When he laughed, it often brought me back to the days when I was his age when the only thing we had to worry about was whether I had enough money to buy seaweed. His laughter was more like a healthy and boisterous chuckle. Loud and strong.

He was the one who really got me into fishing. He was the one who started me thinking about the quality of the fishing tackle I bought. He was one of the first few who would sometimes jio me out for 11th hour fishing stints. I didn't always go though. I wish I had.

Ken was one of those guys who could get you to do something for him even if you didn't want to, and you'd still mostly likely end up feeling like you're suddenly doing the right thing. And I don't think I'm the only one. He had that amount of energy and bubbly-ness to pass around.

I once brought him along with some classmates (or you could say he brought me along) to Bedok Jetty for an overnighter-of-fishing. I can't really remember much that day but I do remember him being really wacky. My friends though can still remember him. That's how much of an impression he could leave.

Sadly, we grew apart, mainly due to my school commitments. But I think we still considered ourselves close. He started a short lived blog because of a fishing related entry I wrote in my blog. I had some fun teasing him about his blog's lifespan. He even called me, or rather 'MSNed' me for a boat trip after a really long time of little contact. The power of the youngsters and the internet aye? :-) These are the pictures you see now.

Ken's enthusiasm for fishing at the time was so immense that he even created 2 fishing clubs, both of which I joined. His ability to attract people with similar passions was great. Sometimes, he would attract the wrong kind of person but he would always overcome many problems and was not afraid to ditch people if they were asses. Trust me, he ditched some mutual acquaintances even quicker than me.

I don't really know if he was still in to fishing. Perhaps he started new hobbies. I don't really know. But I know that he definitely had an impact on me.

I've only ever had 1 other defining peer in my life move on to the next world. Ken now joins him as the second.

Tight lines old friend. If I had to leave early I'm pretty sure I would want to have lived like you.


Ken Yeo
13 Aug 1992 - 1 Sept 2008