I met Richard Emerson McIntosh through Ken Jones and this PFIC pier site, what Rich would call "the board." I had read about Rich before I met him through his fishing friend Scott "Scooterfish" Geerds, also a PFIC member now living in Mandeville, Louisiana.
I first heard about Rich, the 6' 8" giant from Scooterfish's descriptive posts of fishing the S.F. waterfront piers around 2000. Rich was better with words than written prose.
From the very first Mud Marlin Derby #1 hosted by PFIC, Rich and I became fishing buddies and friends. I always mention to Ken Jones that his "fishing board" has brought people together as fishermen, friends, and community that I don't believe he has quite fathomed; people that may never have fished together.
We fished for 16 years with regularity from 2002 until his death April 15th, 2018. The last year, he was hanging out with his lady quite a bit who also fishes, so we only fished a handful of times.
When I fished with Rich, he lived in San Francisco near Agua Vista Pier (Kelly's Mission Rock) near Towns End. He did not have a vehicle at the time, so I would come pick him up and we would fish waterfront piers like Pier 2, 7, 14, or any other pier with a number that you could slip into along the SF waterfront.
Rich liked to shark/ray fish, that was his thing and for the 16 years I knew him, squid was his favorite bait and I used to call that his "fishing candy." A $3 box of 3# of squid from Safeway was what he used the majority of the time. And, I would NEVER have fished those piers at night (let alone day) along the waterfront without someone that has immense presence as he did; I just wouldn't feel safe or comfortable. From having fished with him enough times there, I could do it now as I know where to park and what to expect. And we fished every little pier, wharf and landing from Torpedo Wharf NW to Hunter's Point SE all along Town's End and 3rd.
We never did well with the catches in SF as we really didn't know how to pursue the gamefish over there because the method is different enough from the Eastbay piers like Berkeley that I knew so well to put us at a disadvantage. I am sure I could go back to those piers and have greater success now if I took the time to fish them ever again.
But, that was not Rich. He liked to smoke cigarettes, drink Coca Cola, drive to new fishing spots, and tell tall tales. He did not want to nor have the patience to sit at (1) pier like I do 4, 6, 8 hours at a time to catch 1 or 2 keeper halibut; that was just NOT him!
Raised in Ukiah, California, Rich took me to his hometown of Anderson Valley and showed me every bar and pool hall in the town (and he was a very good pool player). I went to all the spots he knew in Anderson Valley. The little creeks, lakes, rivers where we caught trout (like Cole Creek); he knew how to fish the local lakes. He took me to meet his family and I met his twin brother Clayton Henry McIntosh (also deceased) that we would visit in Napa and then go fish Cuttings Wharf along 121. I met all of his sisters, brother-in-law, and mom Betty. Through my association with Rich, I went to small town bars (many right in the Bay Area) I never would have being African-American, feeling comfortable. I ventured on fishing road trips like Russian River, Noyo Harbor, McKerricker Park, Fish Ranch Road, and Point Arena for the first time with him driving all the way... as that is what he liked to do...road trips.
Rich was a good friend, like a big body guard, and he was very good with backing up trucks, trailers, boats, tying off loads and driving boats. He bought a 20' old Bayliner Capri when he got a settlement from moving out of SF to Vallejo and we went on a few trips but, alas that old Force 150 (knock-off Merc) burnt out within less than a year and he got rid of it. I remember when he came and picked me up early morning with truck and trailer to go in Rio Vista saying "we got a boat" as in we both did. What I learned from being in a boat a few times is , that sometimes you just go for a boat ride, and that you still need to find fish to catch them. I only went on about 4 trips before the boat was gone. We had 1 trip from San Leandro to under the San Mateo bridge. We only caught small 7 gills as the bite wasn't the best time of year for there with us catching bat rays on our way back to the marina. PFIC member Alex Poon was with us. The other trip I remember, we anchored by the channel at Ferry Point, Richmond for a couple hours. Just a few small sharks and maybe a ray. His dog Peaches came with us and got seasick (I think it was the Slim Jim he gave her on our way to the dock that made her throw up).
As far as his involvement with PFIC, Rich did as much or more than others did at the events and did deserve the UPSAC rod that James G-Dude Liu gave all of us. I was an official UPSAC board member but Rich drove me to most of the away events to Goleta, Oceanside, Pismo. At the home events at Berkeley, he ensured there were no fights and I always tell Ken, he is the reason after 15 events at Berkeley, there was no trouble. I distinctly remember 1 year trouble was brewing, which I detected, and asked Rich to go and talk to a specific individual. 1 time (not a PFIC event) I did jump in right before anything started as Rich and this farm-boy from Patterson almost went head up at the end of Berkeley Pier at night (because the guy said we couldn't fish there) and challenged Rich by saying "whatcha gone do fat-boy?!"
Rich had his faults, like anyone. And I always tell myself, if I am looking for a friend with no faults, I am better off fishing by myself. Rich was a friend, knew my family, had been to my house many times and was someone that showed up right at the right times and called and said 'let's go fishin'" when I was down.
I still throw in "1 last cast for Stan Low" as we used to do when he was alive, only now his name is on that list of last casts!
BTW - all of the fish shown were caught on squid including the sturgeon and halibut (caught at night). He even caught a keeper striper by San Quentin on squid. And I witnessed all these legitimate catches throughout that 16 years!
One last note: When I first met Rich, neither of us had gray hair. It was about 2010, after I had known him about 8 years that I really took any pictures of him and digital cameras were more readily available (as in cell phones). I had these pictures on a terrabyte drive over 10 years old. Rich lived to be 55 years old as he was (1) year older than I and I will be 57 this August. It's not how long you live, its what you do while you are here...
A few pictures attached

I first heard about Rich, the 6' 8" giant from Scooterfish's descriptive posts of fishing the S.F. waterfront piers around 2000. Rich was better with words than written prose.
From the very first Mud Marlin Derby #1 hosted by PFIC, Rich and I became fishing buddies and friends. I always mention to Ken Jones that his "fishing board" has brought people together as fishermen, friends, and community that I don't believe he has quite fathomed; people that may never have fished together.
We fished for 16 years with regularity from 2002 until his death April 15th, 2018. The last year, he was hanging out with his lady quite a bit who also fishes, so we only fished a handful of times.
When I fished with Rich, he lived in San Francisco near Agua Vista Pier (Kelly's Mission Rock) near Towns End. He did not have a vehicle at the time, so I would come pick him up and we would fish waterfront piers like Pier 2, 7, 14, or any other pier with a number that you could slip into along the SF waterfront.
Rich liked to shark/ray fish, that was his thing and for the 16 years I knew him, squid was his favorite bait and I used to call that his "fishing candy." A $3 box of 3# of squid from Safeway was what he used the majority of the time. And, I would NEVER have fished those piers at night (let alone day) along the waterfront without someone that has immense presence as he did; I just wouldn't feel safe or comfortable. From having fished with him enough times there, I could do it now as I know where to park and what to expect. And we fished every little pier, wharf and landing from Torpedo Wharf NW to Hunter's Point SE all along Town's End and 3rd.
We never did well with the catches in SF as we really didn't know how to pursue the gamefish over there because the method is different enough from the Eastbay piers like Berkeley that I knew so well to put us at a disadvantage. I am sure I could go back to those piers and have greater success now if I took the time to fish them ever again.
But, that was not Rich. He liked to smoke cigarettes, drink Coca Cola, drive to new fishing spots, and tell tall tales. He did not want to nor have the patience to sit at (1) pier like I do 4, 6, 8 hours at a time to catch 1 or 2 keeper halibut; that was just NOT him!
Raised in Ukiah, California, Rich took me to his hometown of Anderson Valley and showed me every bar and pool hall in the town (and he was a very good pool player). I went to all the spots he knew in Anderson Valley. The little creeks, lakes, rivers where we caught trout (like Cole Creek); he knew how to fish the local lakes. He took me to meet his family and I met his twin brother Clayton Henry McIntosh (also deceased) that we would visit in Napa and then go fish Cuttings Wharf along 121. I met all of his sisters, brother-in-law, and mom Betty. Through my association with Rich, I went to small town bars (many right in the Bay Area) I never would have being African-American, feeling comfortable. I ventured on fishing road trips like Russian River, Noyo Harbor, McKerricker Park, Fish Ranch Road, and Point Arena for the first time with him driving all the way... as that is what he liked to do...road trips.
Rich was a good friend, like a big body guard, and he was very good with backing up trucks, trailers, boats, tying off loads and driving boats. He bought a 20' old Bayliner Capri when he got a settlement from moving out of SF to Vallejo and we went on a few trips but, alas that old Force 150 (knock-off Merc) burnt out within less than a year and he got rid of it. I remember when he came and picked me up early morning with truck and trailer to go in Rio Vista saying "we got a boat" as in we both did. What I learned from being in a boat a few times is , that sometimes you just go for a boat ride, and that you still need to find fish to catch them. I only went on about 4 trips before the boat was gone. We had 1 trip from San Leandro to under the San Mateo bridge. We only caught small 7 gills as the bite wasn't the best time of year for there with us catching bat rays on our way back to the marina. PFIC member Alex Poon was with us. The other trip I remember, we anchored by the channel at Ferry Point, Richmond for a couple hours. Just a few small sharks and maybe a ray. His dog Peaches came with us and got seasick (I think it was the Slim Jim he gave her on our way to the dock that made her throw up).
As far as his involvement with PFIC, Rich did as much or more than others did at the events and did deserve the UPSAC rod that James G-Dude Liu gave all of us. I was an official UPSAC board member but Rich drove me to most of the away events to Goleta, Oceanside, Pismo. At the home events at Berkeley, he ensured there were no fights and I always tell Ken, he is the reason after 15 events at Berkeley, there was no trouble. I distinctly remember 1 year trouble was brewing, which I detected, and asked Rich to go and talk to a specific individual. 1 time (not a PFIC event) I did jump in right before anything started as Rich and this farm-boy from Patterson almost went head up at the end of Berkeley Pier at night (because the guy said we couldn't fish there) and challenged Rich by saying "whatcha gone do fat-boy?!"
Rich had his faults, like anyone. And I always tell myself, if I am looking for a friend with no faults, I am better off fishing by myself. Rich was a friend, knew my family, had been to my house many times and was someone that showed up right at the right times and called and said 'let's go fishin'" when I was down.
I still throw in "1 last cast for Stan Low" as we used to do when he was alive, only now his name is on that list of last casts!
BTW - all of the fish shown were caught on squid including the sturgeon and halibut (caught at night). He even caught a keeper striper by San Quentin on squid. And I witnessed all these legitimate catches throughout that 16 years!
One last note: When I first met Rich, neither of us had gray hair. It was about 2010, after I had known him about 8 years that I really took any pictures of him and digital cameras were more readily available (as in cell phones). I had these pictures on a terrabyte drive over 10 years old. Rich lived to be 55 years old as he was (1) year older than I and I will be 57 this August. It's not how long you live, its what you do while you are here...
A few pictures attached

![br_sturg[1].jpg](/msgboard/data/attachments/2/2335-cbb8d86462967ec61622add8737ba8e7.jpg)




Last edited: