Cell Phone "Apps"

[Jimmie]

Last fall I fell in the river while wet wading. My old flip top cell ph. took the dunk with me. It's just now starting to give-up so I must get a new one. For a guy not too tech savy I need to ask you fellow NAFF members a question. Is there a cell phone and/or apps that us fly fishers might want more than others?
Thank you in advance for your advice.

 

[troutdoorsman]

There are a few apps out there for fly fishing but most are junk. I believe there is one for Orvis and it's around 15 bucks and you can get an app for here if you sign up for the Tapatalk app for around 3 bucks. I had to upgrade to a smart phone due to fishing also.

 

[Chukwithak]

Tapatalk is a GREAT app if you cruise forums that support it. TFFF does. Fishbook is pretty cool, and The Hatch is pretty cool. There's a couple of waterflow apps, I havent bought them yet, but will eventually.

The orvis app looks pretty in depth and while 15$ you get a 10$ gift card with it so they say. I still havent bought it. 5$ and it would be mine, but I dont know what I'd buy from Orvis.

iCast is from OnTheFly, havent bought it yet.

Flybench by FLy Fisherman for those that tie.

and Fishing Trip Organizer looks pretty nice.

 

[dcr]

I haven't found too many fly fishing specific apps for my droid. I do use Back Country Navigator (topo map gps app that lets you download files for when you don't have service), flow rate app, sun up/set app, Ocean tides, etc. I don't use my phone too much while on the river though. Too scared I'd drop it in the water. And at $500 to replace...eh I'd rather not

 

[joshuanoerr]

The Orvis app is 15 bucks, but I bought it, and found out they give you a $10 gift certificate redeemable online or in store, so that was cool.

I actually wrote an article about smart phone apps for fisherman, and will be doing a part II soon.

You can read that here if you like: 5 Android Smartphone Applications For Fisherman | Man Versus Fish

I think you will see more and more apps and they will get better and better. I am in the development process for one now.

 

[Brewmaster]

Not an "app", but there are a few phones that are great for fishing. I have been using a couple of different models of a Casio G'zOne phone (pronounced "G' "Z" "one") for about 5 years. I am currently using the Boulder model; however, the current models available for purchase are the Ravine and the Brigade. These phones are all "feature" phones, not "smart" phones, but they are designed and built to meet all U.S. Military specs for many extreme conditions, including: water proof, dust proof, shock proof, vibration proof, heat and cold, radiation (e.g. solar flare), humidity, and salt fog.

A lot of phones say they are "rugged," and that they are water resistant (means they can handle getting briefly wet in the rain), but the Gz'One phones are water proof, they can be dropped in water, sit for submerged for a while (until you can get to them), pulled out and immediately resume being used - no delay waiting for a phone to dry out and hoping it will work. I always carry my G'zOne phone clippped to my chestpack (I need to be in contact for a family medical issue) and when I fell in the stream I did not even worry about the phone still working. Unfortunately, these phones are only available on the Verizon network, but if you are using that company you can get them.

If you want a smart phone, Casio and Verizon are just about to release the latest Gz'One phone - an Android powered smart phone that has been shown at the Consumer Electronics Show with the model name "Commando". This smart phone is supposed to be released before the end of June 2011. If you want more information on the Gz'One smart phone click this link: More pictures of Casio C771 G'zOne leaked | Android Central
or just do a Google search for Casio C771 (the development model number)

 

[chuck s]

Great thread guys! :clap: I, for one, need that waterproof capability and am a Verizon person who I'll be looking for that phone mentioned above. :thumbsup: I've never used an Ap per se but assume that it's a function you add to your phone after market. Some of those described in the article linked above are a great :icon_idea and would be a great addition for a fly angler as I've always said that at least half the fun, if not more, is in the planning and getting there. A question for those not so technically challenged, does your phone have to be a "Smart Phone," to run Aps? I vaguely recall that mine is one of those semi-smart phones and it just might, so I'll be looking into that as I figured, and was apparently wrong, that Aps were expensive to either install or use. Speaking of that, the article linked did not tell how you would get to or order those Aps desired? From working on the earliest mobile computers at all levels (programming, maintenance, operation, etc) to being a techno dummy, I've come a long way baby!:doh:

 

[Brewmaster]

Update - the new Gz'One Commando phone has been released and is now available from Verizon. I will be going to the Verizon store to try one out right after Mother's Day and will probably upgrade from the Boulder to the Commando. Note that there are 2 other Gz'One Phones available to meet your need for a waterproof phone - the Ravine (a typical fli phone) and the Brigade (a full qwerty-keyboard phone with browsing capability).

Chuck - An "app" is just short for an "Application" e.g. a small program that the smart phone can run. With an iPhone you go to the IPhone-Store, and with the Commando (and a lot of other phones that run the Android operating system) you go to the Android Market (store) at www.market.android.com . Many Apps are free, but some can cost - depends on who wrote them and how they market them. The iPhone has about 300,000 apps to choose from, and the Android has about 100,000 apps to choose from, with the number of Android apps currently growing faster than the iPhone. (FYI - I recommend staying away from any smart phone that uses the Microsoft Windows7 smart phone operating system - they only have about 1,000 apps, mostly business).

You get Apps by downloading them directly from the "store" and into the smart phone. You do not need to use a computer, just the smart phone. Earlier phones were called "feature phones" and could only provide limited access to music, weather, etc. via an application provided by the phone vendor. Bottom line, a smart phone is a combination of cell phone, camera/video, and a hand-held computer.

Finally Chuck, don't feel bad, when I first started working on computers, all data input was via punch cards and data output was on paper (no CRTs). We sorted, managed and calculated data by wiring up control boards which served as programs - disk drives had yet to be invented, and memory was actually core (no such thing as solid state or semi-conductor) - Good Lord! I really AM old!!!

---------- Post added at 04:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:09 PM ----------

Last fall I fell in the river while wet wading. My old flip top cell ph. took the dunk with me. It's just now starting to give-up so I must get a new one. For a guy not too tech savy I need to ask you fellow NAFF members a question. Is there a cell phone and/or apps that us fly fishers might want more than others?
Thank you in advance for your advice.

For Android you might want to try the Knot list (free) - provides all the common and unusual fishing knots:

Knots Guide for Android | AppBrain.com

For iPhone you can get Groggs knot app - it costs $5

 

[flyfisher45]

When I had Verizon I had a older version of the G Zone phone and it is definately waterproof and does take a beating. Now I have AT and T and a Blackberry which I wouldn't recomend, no apps for it.

 

[Davec921]

I have had the GZ1 boulder for over 2 years now.
It is the only phone that I have not had to replace. In other words it is the original. I just recently upgraded to the GZ1 commando. I ordered it online. If you search Ebay you can get it for 19. Basically it is a 3rd party to VZ.

Was easy to do an saved me 140. Any ways I will be getting the new phone on Tue an an excited. If it is as tough as my current I will love it.
Ill let you all know how it is as soon as I get it.
LATER
DAVE

 

[tbone616]

We have one up here called ifish Alberta and it is awesome! It gives you current weather updates a google map of all the closest fishing spots from your current location, lunar phases, species references, rules and regulations, lake depth charts, knots and even boat launch locations. The only down side is that it is currently just for lakes but i have heard they are working on adding rivers into it as well. Not sure if they have one for your locations but it would be worth a look into in my opinion.

iFish Alberta™ | The iPhone App for Fishing in Alberta

 

[team7x]

I recommend RIVER GUIDE for the I-phone. Very good list of river gauges throughout the US, with daily and weekly streamflows and levels. Originally designed as a kayaking app, Wayne, the author, is open to adding new streams that are gauged, for fly fishers. Get it at I-tunes. I reviewed it previously here....team7x.com

 

[rgramjet]

Just posted in the gps thread before seeing this one. Love the footprints app for my HTC evo phone, let's me record coordinates, take a picture and write notes about the location. I use it often.

(sorry if I sound like a broken record.)

 

[cattech89]

Any Blackberry fishing apps out there?