A quicker measuring system definitely sounds more fish-friendly. Angling guidelines from the National Parks Service recommend that you don’t remove a fish from the water because it can result in suffocation or internal injuries. They also discourage excessive handling because it’s so easy to damage a fish’s mucus layer that protects them from disease.
With the Tail Scale, an angler can keep the fish’s head underwater throughout the entire process. And because the tail is the only portion of the fish’s body that needs to be handled, the fish will typically be released much healthier than with traditional methods.
It would appear that many anglers are anxious for a simpler measuring system because the Tail Scale was fully funded on Kickstarter. An update on the Kickstarter page says the manufacturer hopes to begin delivering the innovative scale as early as April 2016.