I agree with the above recommendation.

The PowerShot 400 is nice, but at 4.0 megapixels, and for $499, it might be a little "too nice" for taking out on the water. Unless you're going to be publishing large (8x10) photos of your fish, you can get away with a 2 or 3 megapixel camera and it'll save you money.

I've actually got the Canon PowerShot 300, its 3.2 megapixels, and it runs $399. About $100 less. Still kind of pricy but the Canon's take great photos (the ones you posted are a great example of that!), and the PowerShot series cameras are very small and compact, which does work well for the outdoors.

If you're price sensitive, you might be able to find the older, 2.0 megapixel PowerShot. I haven't seen too many used ones around, most people don't want to part with them. Best of luck with your purchase, and post some photos when you do get a camera.

Edit: I just remembered seeing a commercial on tv last night about the Olympus compact digital camera that is also...WATERPROOF. The commerical showed it being sprayed with water. This might help you avoid the cost of the underwater housing accessory for the Canon. Just a thought.

** tight lines make all my troubles go away **