A quality pair of polarized sunglasses is a necessity. Polarized sunglasses allow you to look through the water to see fish and the structure they are holding on. Polarized glasses may even save your bat hen navigating shallow waterways. The ability to see detailed structure will help you to navigate around objects. Two manufacturers that are on the forefront of fishing sunglasses are Smith Optics with their new Chromapop lenses and Costa Del Mar.
There are many different polarized lenses that are optimized to suit specific fishing conditions. The best lens color changes with the sun intensity and type of water you are fishing. When fishing freshwater, copper or amber lenses are most anglers go to colors. These lenses will suffice in most shallow water applications for rivers, and lakes. This includes fly fishing for trout and Bass fishing in lakes. As a do it all pair of lenses anglers can even get away using Copper or brown lens glasses on shallow salt flats.They provide a well rounded performance that is good in both bright sun conditions and light overcast. The brown lens hue provides good definition to shallow water structure.
As anglers make it into deeper water, especially blue ocean water, different lenses are needed. When fishing deeper water, in the ocean, bottom structure is generally not of concern for eye sight. Glasses are needed to keep glare down off of the surface and aid you in spotting fish cruising through the water column. Anyone who has tried, knows that spotting fish through the blue water in the open ocean is much harder than it sounds. For this task an angler is looking for a lense in blue or grey hues. These lenses block your eyes from the powerful reflection of the ocean while enhancing the dark spots in the ocean that are fish.
Costa Del Mar’s 580G lenses in blue mirror are the perfect ocean lenses. They are 20 percent thinner and 22 percent lighter than average glass lenses. 580G lenses also provide ultimate clarity with superior durability. Encapsulated mirrors between the layers of glass are scratch proof so you can worry about the fishing and not your glasses.
If you fish low light conditions in either fresh or saltwater another lens is needed. Even when it is fairly dark out and most anglers would skip glasses all together they can be helpful. Smith Optics Low Light Ignitor lens is the perfect example of how sunglasses can perform even when it is not sunny. These lenses allow a surprising amount of light in while still cutting glare and allowing the angler to see through the water. A pair of low light lenses are a must have for any angler who is frequently on the water at dusk or dawn. Or who fishes in an environment where it is heavy overcast.
Aside from lens color, the sunglass frames themselves can play a big role in your fishing. First and foremost you want to make sure they are comfortable and not distracting to wear. Sunglass frames come in several sizes to accommodate different face shapes. When looking at measurements to compare glasses; the bridge is the space between the two lenses above your nose. The bridge measurement combined with the lens width will tell you how wide each pair of glasses are. The temple measurement dictates the length of the arms on the glasses. You will also see coverage specs. These tell you how big the lens itself is and how much coverage over your eyes they will provide. To find the perfect size for you head to your local sunglass dealer and try them on or get fitted.
Once you have found the right size frames for yourself you need to look at the characteristics of the frames. If you fish in high sunlight areas it is wise to buy glasses with a Thick arms on the side. These frames will help block sunlight from the side and increase your glasses performance.
Eye Protection is another reason you should always wear sunglasses. Glasses provide protection from the elements and from fishing equipment. There are a lot of potential hazards on a fishing boat that could end your weekend trip early.
Before your next trip on the water be sure to pick up the right pair of glasses for your adventure.
Article by: Sean Hill