Polarized Sunglass Lenses

[jonbo]

Hey, does anyone know what is the best color/shade for an all-around pair of polarized sunglasses, for trout fishing, of course! I'm getting fitted/tested for new glasses tomorrow. My insurance pays for my regular glasses, but I'm thinking about asking them for the price of ordering a pair of polarized wrap-around sunglasses with prescription lenses, if there is something like that available through my eye-doc. My inclination is that the cost will be prohibitive, but I mean to find out. Anyhow, if I really consider it, I'll be asking what my choice of tints are. I understand it makes some kind of difference. Right now I use a pair of polarized bifocals I bought online in which the lower part are magnifiers. These aren't TOO bad, but still leave something to be desired. I'd really like that lower part to be in my prescription so I can actually see the know I'm tying. So, does anyone know what the best all-around tint color is?

[turfdawg]

Sounds crazy but I prefer Smith low light ignitor which is yellow. With these I can see in the shaded areas and everything in between. Amber is next

[huntnfish2much]

I’ve had a pair of Oakley prescription sunglasses for over ten years. They’re amber, polarized, prescription lenses, and it would be pretty much impossible, IMHO, to find better fishing sunglasses.

This is just my opinion, and I have had limited-to-no experience otherwise. They’re great for cutting glare. The amber lenses are great throughout the day, even on cloudy days, but at low light, they have to come off.

They ain’t cheap.

JR

[golferjeff]

Amber is the best all-around lens color. Great for sun, glare, and changing conditions. Not great in low light. I have Smith Chromapop and Costa's with variations on amber.

Jonbo, you mean you might actually SIGHT fish?

[jonbo]

Not saying I will, Jeff, but I might try a little harder. Amber is what I'll ask them about. Thanks, guys!

[jonbo]

Okay, if someone who is studied up at all on polarized fishing glasses can give me one more opinion, I'd be much appreciative. The eye doc can give me prescription polarized sunglasses for $250. These are in their materials. They are brown. Has anyone heard anything against brown-tinted fishing sunglasses? The fitting lady tried to sell me on them as being very close to amber. They could also get them made by Oakley or Maui Jim. In that case I could get lenses they sell specifically for fishing and have more choices. But those would cost >$600. I ain't doing that. It's not in the little personal fund I save up for stuff like this. I'm ordering them tomorrow. Does anyone think that's NOT a good way to go?

[turfdawg]

Brown is better than gray in my opinion for fishing.

[jonbo]

Researching some it seems that brown is not NOT a way to go. I think I'm going to do it. I have some polarized glasses I ordered once online. They are actually bifocals with the bottom part being magnifiers. They're almost good enough for me to tie knots and stuff with easily up-close, but not quite. I end up after awhile just putting my regular prescription bifocals back on and forget about trying to see fish in the water. I'd really like some polarized glasses I can just use on the water. This seems like a good solution. They're in Oakley frames so they're cool, too! (Even though they won't be Oakley Lenses but Texarkana Eye Associates lenses.) Yep, think I'm gonna do it.

[golferjeff]

Amber is a slightly lighter shade of brown. They will be fine on sunny days for sure... maybe not as much on cloudy ones. Did you ever have Dr. Eric McCall on Texarkana Eye Associates? I think he moved on, but he is my nephew.

Turfdawg - gray is GREAT for high desert (san juan) or high altitude bright conditions. I wear my $30 NXG's when surroundings are red/sandstone or really bright.

[jonbo]

I don't think I've had him, Jeff. I've had women the last 2 times. I used to go to a Dr Bowman here in Nashville until my insurance company started sending me to TEA. I did order the sunglasses. They're in pretty cool Oakley frames so I can pass them off as real Oakleys while I'm posing in my beret, cigarette holder and 12' euro-stick.

What was disgusting about the whole experience, and I was all wrapped up in figuring out if I wanted/could-afford the sunglasses, so I didn't really pay attention to it until later, was this: The Oakley frames were $80. Okay, not bad. They're Oakleys and pretty cool looking. Sturdy, as well. The sunglasses came to $240 which wasn't bad considering they're prescription, and I can actually wear polarized glasses now while I fish. I liked that part of the deal just fine.

Meanwhile, with my big fat head I could only fit one pair of regular eye-glass frames on the rack. They were Nike's. Okay, big deal. It has a Nike slash on the side. Who cares? Well the frames were $300! $300 for those little piece of crap eyeglass frames! My insurance paid for half of that. The stupid regular old glasses, with insurance, cost me $200. At the time, because they were less than the sunglasses and I'm not too smart, I didn't think anything of it. An hour later when my wife pointed that these were the ones the insurance was supposed to cover, but the frames were $300! we were both pissed. It left me wondering, is it Nike, or whatever corporation is behind TEA that's making out like a bandit? Probably both.

[freebird]

I run with two pair of Costas. Both are glass lenses in blue and green. I've had them for a few years and I think I paid around $280 a piece. I mostly use the green while river fishing and the ones with the blue lenses when I'm bass fishing at a lake. Both pairs have excellent bright light dampening and I never have to squint when they're on. I'm hardly ever without them as bright light and squinting brings on the headaches. They're both excellent for sight fishing. Good luck with your choice! #tightlines

[frreed]

I may be too late on this, but check out Shady Rays online. I have 4 pairs of their non-prescription glasses and they are pretty good. Sure,their not Costa good, but I can get 5 pairs for the cost of 1 Costa. I'v got Oakleys that I use for cycling, golf and fishing. I bought the Shady Rays for driving and casual wear. I now wear the Rays for fishing most of the time.

They do have a service for prescription lenses and offer them in a variety of colors and tints. The price seems to be comparable to what you listed above and they look pretty good as well.

[jonbo]

I got my prescript sunglasses in. They're nice! Brown lenses. I wore them yesterday. I can see the bottom better than I ever could. I still can't hardly spot a fish, though. I mean, a good sized palomino trout bit my nymph. I could see the rocks on the bottom all around it. I didn't see it though until I was fighting it. Oh, well.

[thecroflys]

Jonbo, It ain't all bad...just being able to see the bottom well enough to wade is a big victory in my book!

Not being able to see the fish until you've hooked it and are fighting it...I'll take a problem like that any day! Thanks for the previous fishing report .

[darrelln09]

I used my Bass Pro Christmas Gift Card on a pair of Oakley Split Shot glasses with “Prizm Shallow Water” polarized lenses. According to the literature, the lenses are a combination of rose and copper colors. I gave them their first good test today in the 70-degree Missouri sun and I thought they were fantastic! They seemed to enhance the green colorations of the fish and the underwater shadows were also more apparent. The polarizing, of course, nicely cuts down the surface glare. I also like the built-in but detachable braided wire neck strap that comes with the Split Shot model. The list price was $216.

[mirvc17]

Nice. Those kinda look like Smith Guides Choice. Look like a quality choice.

[jonbo]

Nice, Darrell! wish I'd gotten a gift card like that. Mine are to Cracker Barrel and stuff like that. No need to complain, I'm just a complainer, I suppose.

[turfdawg]

Feb 2, 2020 18:00:37 GMT -6 darrelln09 said:

I used my Bass Pro Christmas Gift Card on a pair of Oakley Split Shot glasses with “Prizm Shallow Water” polarized lenses. According to the literature, the lenses are a combination of rose and copper colors. I gave them their first good test today in the 70-degree Missouri sun and I thought they were fantastic! They seemed to enhance the green colorations of the fish and also the underwater shadows were more apparent. The polarizing, of course, cuts down the surface glare as well. I also like the built-in but detachable braided wire neck strap that comes with the Split Shot model. The list price was $216.

I got those lens in my Oakley M2’s. They are my daily shades but I still haven’t used them on the river yet. I keep using my Smith low light igniters.

[darrelln09]

Feb 3, 2020 13:10:37 GMT -6 jonbo said:

Nice, Darrell! wish I'd gotten a gift card like that. Mine are to Cracker Barrel and stuff like that. No need to complain, I'm just a complainer, I suppose.

Well, the gift card didn’t cover the whole amount! My advice to you is to drop better hints around Thanksgiving time. 

[FlyAndStream]

Just got a new pair of Costa Reefton Sunrise Silver Mirror 508G’s to try, suppose to be excellent low-light lens: morning, evening, and overcast days. We’ll see.