Rocky Talkies: The Next Great Gear Addition for Fly Anglers

Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases.

---

While not typically thought of for use when fly fishing, there’s no reason walkie talkies shouldn’t be. We don’t always hike side-by-side with our fishing mates, and we all have a story or two about wishing the other was there for a picture.

“Dude, didn’t you hear me? I was screaming for you to come get a picture!”

Or how about when you happen upon a pod of risers sipping blue-winged olives and want to share it with your newbie buddy? Or when you need to communicate with your shuttle driver? Or when you’re across the sparkling blue-green tarn from your spouse at 10,000 feet and your cell phone gets no signal? Or on editor/publisher Ross Purnell’s recent incredible trip into the Middle Cascades of Yosemite Falls, when he and his crew employed them to communicate about their climb and descent? Turns out there is no shortage of usefulness to walkie-talkies for fly fishing.

These things are legit. You actually need an (easy-to-acquire) FCC license to legally use them on the GMRS radio service that they operate on (https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/general-mobile-radio-service-gmrs), they are about as powerful as handheld radios get, and they are durable as hell. They work much better outside than in, with a range of up to 3 miles on winding rivers, 5 miles in hilly forests, 8 miles in the mountains, and up to 35 miles with an unobstructed line of sight. They weigh about 9 ounces, are IP67 waterproof (up to 1 meter submersion), can play NOAA weather radio, and you can monitor, lock, and privatize channels.

I’ve used them at places like the Madison River’s Bear Trap Canyon, where they performed admirably even with tall canyon walls twisting around every half mile or so. It was nice to be able to put some space between me and my 13-year-old without worrying too much.

You do run the risk of coming off like a bit of a douchebag to your rivermates or being too loud with them, but that’s easily controllable.

I think I'm going to get a lot of use out of them.

$165 | rockytalkie.com

---