casion gzone commando,    fly fishing stuff,    smartphone,    Underground Entertainment

Why Every Fly Fisherman Needs a Smartphone

By Tom Chandler 6/24/2011

For fly fishermen, smartphones represent a quantum step forward in recreational technology -- the kind of advance that stands to wholly alter your outdoor experience.

With old-fashioned cell phones could only call your friends from the river, mercilessly taunting them at their home or office via voice only. Today -- with the advent of powerful, state-of-the-art smartphone technology -- you can also text them live updates.

And while texting represents a huge stride forward in friendship-ending technology, it's already been eclipsed by the ability to send your former-best-friends pictures and video -- and all before the fish is even completely wet again.

For those who care little for their friends, smartphones represent loneliness, followed eventually by a death in a newspaper-filled house overrun with cats wearing aluminum foil hats. Which is why I bought this bad boy:

The Underground's Smartassphone

Because I got tired of dropping cell phones in the river in mid-taunt, I got the Android 2.2-powered Casio Commando, which is water and shock resistant.

For those moments when I'm feeling lost, it also has a built-in compass, so I know precisely which direction to go to make matters worse.

My "friends" with a history of onstream phone calls should be the following:

Afraid.

Be very afraid.

See you sending videos from the river, Tom Chandler.
AuthorPicture

Tom Chandler

As the author of the decade leading fly fishing blog Trout Underground, Tom believes that fishing is not about measuring the experience but instead of about having fun. As a staunch environmentalist, he brings to the Yobi Community thought leadership on environmental and access issues facing us today.

14 comments
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You could always simply turn it on to taunt, then switch it off again. You could preserve enough juice to alienate your loved ones for upwards of a week...
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And there in lies my personal issue with all these fancy devices... great for day trips, useless if you're travelling anywhere remotely...remote. I have one of these: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-solid-immerse-955054/review which goes forever. I can also use it to bang tent pegs in an emergency... Not so good for winding up pals though..
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Bummer. And to think all those fools are buying those effete iPhones without knowing they could get something manly instead...
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I dunno -- can you buy just a battery? I hate the two-year contract stipulation...
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Kentucky Jim: You take a phone in the river? Really? Really? Kentucky Jim: You take a phone in the river?Really?Really?Still, the line about “lonliness followed eventually by a death in a newspaper-filled house overrun by cats in aluminum foil hats” has a certain ring toit. Did you not read that part of the post?
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breambum: So how 'bout a review to feed my jones, I'm generally pretty happy with it, though my last phone -- the execrable Blackberry Storm -- was so bad it soured me on the company forever. This is fast and I frankly like it as much as my wife's iPhone. Nice to have a browser that actually works, and access to the ebook library (both mine and the Nook library) make it possible to read in a few otherwise-wasted ... more moments. So far, it's fast enough and handy enough that I like it. The only caveat is battery life; I tend to charge it every night, though -- if I was careful -- I could maybe get two days out of it.
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So, I've had what I believe to be the 1st generation of the Gzone for years and have been seriously considering an upgrade to the commando. So how 'bout a review to feed my jones, although you should do it soon ( as a benefit for mankind, of course) because I'm going to the phone store next week. Thanks in advance :)
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You take a phone in the river? Really? Really? Still, the line about "lonliness followed eventually by a death in a newspaper-filled house overrun by cats in aluminum foil hats" has a certain ring to it.
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I have a couple of rat b@stard retired pals that love to email pics of fish and hatches to me when they know I'm at work.... fortunately howls of anguish and knawing on the furniture are pretty normal in my office
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Ya gotta get the "Fishhead App" it gives you the river flows, weather, moon etc as well as tides
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Hey Tom, I have an earlier version of the casio. I have not only tested it in the river, dropped it a few times, but my wife also washed and dried it. Its been flawless for 3 years, my battery is getting bad, may be just the excuse to upgrade to your newer/ cooler phone.
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If you're prone to torturing friends, it's a curse. It's just that much harder to inflict suffering on someone after you're home.
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I just got my first smartphone yesterday. The damn salesman didn't tell me there was a waterproof option.
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Very cool phone, Tom. It's just that where I fish, there is no cell phone reception. Blessing or curse?
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