Fly Fishing Sunglasses
Protect Your Eyes with
Quality Polarized Sunglasses
Polarized fly fishing sunglasses are a necessity not a luxury item. Polarized sunglasses protect your eyes from UV radiation.
In Colorado, we receive about 400% more UV radiation than at sea level. Excessive exposure to UV-A and UV-B radiation contributes to formation of cataracts. My optometrist this last year told me that I am starting to form cataracts at age 63. My work and recreation this last six years has been outdoors. Even though I have worn polarized sunglasses when working and fly fishing the entire time, my sunglasses may not have been good enough.
Polarized sunglasses will help you spot fish which can contribute to your fly fishing success. Regular sunglasses will not cut the glare off the water to allow you to see fish but polarized sunglasses will do so.
Fly Fishing Sunglasses are a necessity for being on the water. Whether you are on a stream, lake or the ocean, a quality pair of polarized sunglasses will help to protect your eyes and make your fishing experience more enjoyable.
Your eyes are one of your most valuable physical assets. Imagine living in a world of darkness as someone who is blind has to do. Over exposure to sun and UV A, B, C rays over the years can damage your eyes including retinal damage and cause cataracts. The last five years, I have worked outside. I always wear polarized sunglasses when I am out working or fishing.
For skiing, mountain biking, motorcycle riding, running, walking, fishing or any other outdoor sport, quality polarized sunglasses are highly recommended. For water and snow sports, they are a must have accessory.
Polarized glasses cut the glare and UV exposure by not allowing UV through the lenses. The polarization cuts down on the glare which allows you to see much more clearly. Basically polarized lenses are made from 3 layers of laminated material. Each layer is turned so many degrees to the others so that the light passing through the lenses is filtered. Most modern polarized and regular eyeglass lense material comes already UV coated.
Lenses can be made from glass (the heaviest and least shatter resistant), plastic, polycarbonate, and trilox (a new material). Trilox has better optical qualities than polycarbonate and is slightly thinner. Lenses can be made to darken as the exposure to light is more. These transition lenses are not as good eye protection as regular solid color lenses because they don't get as dark as single color ones.
Lenses come in a variety of colors from pink, violet, standard green-gray, copper or amber, or the mirrored lenses.
For fly fishing, copper or amber colors are the best because they produce the most contrast allowing you to spot fish against the stream bottom or by banks or rocks. I have used gray lenses for many years. Recently, I asked several professional guide which was the best lense color. They all replied that the copper or amber color was best. And they most wore sunglasses with one of those colors.
While sunglasses lenses are shatter resistant, they are not unbreakable. They should not be worn in place of proper eye protection when safety glasses are required. They should not be worn for night driving or other reduced illumination activities.
Sunglasses 101 -- How to Pick Glasses, what do the numbers on bridge and temple mean, what is the difference in the difference lens colors, what is UV radiation and why you need protection, benefit of polarized lenses and more.
Polarized Sunglasses Info -- How they work and a selection of frames
Sunglass Frames
Cocoons
-- Designed to fit comfortably over your prescription glasses or to have your own prescription put into the Cocoon frame. Other styles are available on the pages these examples are linked to. Lenses in 3 colors are constructed of PolarTX
with a 400 UV rating and come in Amber, Gray and Yellow. Frames come in 4 Colors -- Black, Sand, Sapphire and Tortoise
