Sadly, Jon Baiocchi passed away April 22, 2021 while he was doing what he loved, guiding on the Middle Fork of the Feather River.
I met Jon years ago at the annual Fly Fishing show in Pleasanton. I had a couple of questions and when he was answering them, he gave his full attention to giving me the right information. I was really impressed with his generosity, focus, and dedication to protecting our natural resources. After that meeting, I started paying much more attention to his blog, articles, and interviews.
Jon had a unique view of his role as a guide. He openly shared information with anyone that was looking for help. Most guides that I’ve met will give people little nuggets of information but hold back on giving anything significant to non-clients. Jon must have realized the value in being a trusted authority very early on.
He was also focused primarily on walk-n-wade guiding. This is unusual in California- I heard one guide say that he thought this was a crazy business model- show the client what they need and they won’t need to hire you again. Jon certainly took the long view. He certainly wasn’t immune to boats- he was the grand master guide of Lake Davis.
Jon is responsible for my entry into guiding. I love walk-n-wade fishing on lightly pressured water and I love to teach people. Jon illustrated how those passions be coexist with guiding. He kindly offered to help me with the national forest service permit process. He was given the same offer from Frank Pisciotta, the famed Truckee guide back when he was starting out. Frank and Jon’s father (Bob) were clearly significant forces in Jon’s life. Ironically, Frank passed away last year.
Jon’s legacy will live on in the actions of those that he taught and inspired. He will be missed by many in the NorCal fly fishing community.
RIP Jonny B
