There are so many good digital cameras on the market today, the brand is a matter of choice. Base your purchase on what feels right in you hand. A waterproof case is a great add on for those underwater portraits of your catch.

I have a small pelican case that holds my Nikon 5000 and an extra battery and a coupe of compact flash cards. It is very handy to have on the seat of an open boat.

A small (#10) clear drybag is a very inexpensive insurance policy for storing camera gear, cell phone, etc.. Cascade Design makes excellent bags and has a water tight fanny pack that will hold a small digital or 35MM point & shoot camera. They carry a disclaimer on camera gear, but I have waded with it submerged and never had any leaking.

As a working professional outdoor photographer, using dry bags has saved me a lot of bucks over the years while doing river rafting, kayaking, canoing and fishing assignments. Whatever you're not using at the moment, keep it in the drybag.