What glasses do you use?

[Paul Bourcq]

I hear alot of people saying they like these glasses or those.  I have been wearing Costa triple tails with amber lenses.  Im in the market for new glasses and would like to hear what you guys have experience with.  I know they are an invaluable part of my comp gear.

[Dejon Hamann]

I've been using Sunclouds.  Amber lenses.  Never wanted for more.  Except maybe a yellow tint for those over cast days... which there are about 8months of the year in WNY.

[Todd Oishi]

Maui Jims for me...

[Lance Egan]

Good thread Paul.

My favorites are the Smith Polarchromic copper lenses.  For my fat head the Maverick and Riverside frames fit best and block out the most light.

I've tried amber, and brown lenses as well.  Of the two brown are my second choice with amber only good for driving IMO...

I also have a couple pair of Costa's but the clarity and fit aren't as nice on my noggin.

[Randy Hanner]

I second the polarchromic copper mavericks. By far the best glasses I have ever worn. I also have the polarchromic amber lenses.

[Todd Oishi]

To add further to this thread, as a person who wears glasses, I thought I’d share with you an invaluable lesson that I learnt a while back…

In the past, while fly fishing loch-style, I occasionally struggled with spotting "nervous-water" (small ripples/disturbances that are created by trout that are feeding or moving very near to the water’s surface). This fact made quite evident while sharing a boat with an English International, during a heat of the European Fly Fishing Championships. We were pretty much neck-and-neck for well-over half of the competition, while fishing wet flies and lures with sinking-line tactics. But during the latter part of the day (the final hour of the eight-hour-long session) the trout began to rise, so we both switched to floating lines and fished teams of dries and emergers.

I watched in absolute amazement, as my boat partner successfully targeted - and caught - the rising trout, which seemed to be rising more steadily within his quadrant than in mine. During the next hour, he pulled ahead as he scored twice the number of fish that I caught – even though we were using similar lines; flies; and techniques. At the end of the session, we discussed his most recent success. He openly shared what he had been doing differently than me, and of the events that led to his success (he finished second in that day’s competition).

He revealed to me that he was able to spot just about as many rises within my quadrant, while I was only able to detect roughly half of them!?! As we packed our gear and pulled the drogue, he gave me a quick tutorial on spotting “nervous water” and how he approaches it. After a short, but in-depth lesson, I began to understand and appreciate exactly what he was talking about. But still, I was nowhere as proficient at spotting the nervous-water as he was. We discussed the colour and quality of my polarized sunglasses, as well as his opinions and theories on the best colours for specific lighting conditions. Our discussion left me with the impression that perhaps the colour of my lenses was one of the primary reasons for my inability to spot the nervous-water.
 
As soon as I returned back home to Canada; I began experimenting, researching and investigating this subject at great lengths (or as my wife rightfully told me: I had become overly-obsessed with this subject). I scoured the internet for any shred of information on this subject and posed questions on this subject on several website, but the responses only served to add to my confusion and none seemed to address my specific problem.

A few months later, while I was practicing on one of my local lakes, a light rain began to fall on the smooth, glassy surface of the lake. I paused momentarily from my fishing, in attempt to follow the movements of a small pod of freshly-stocked trout, but as I watched their movement, I realized that I was unable to detect the faint rings that were being created by the small drops of rain… unless I looked directly in that general direction. It hit me like a ton of bricks when I realized that it was the progressive lenses of my prescription eye-glasses that had been causing me such a struggle to spot surface disturbances, and was seriously affecting and distorting my peripheral vision, which in turn significantly reduced my ability to detect the subtler nervous-water unless I am looking directly at that area when it occurred!

The next morning, I headed to my eye doctor, had a thorough eye exam, and had new pair of prescription eye glasses made-up (without progressive lenses of course) and ordered a pair of prescription, polarized Maui Jims sunglasses (rose coloured). The improvement to my peripheral vision with my new glasses and sunglasses has been significant, and has made a world of difference! Sure, I still miss the occasional rise, but I personally feel that I am now able to spot nervous-water along with the best of them…

Cheers,
Todd
  

[Dejon Hamann]

Enlightening story Todd.  Have you ever tried contact lenses?  The difference in your peripheral vision as opposed to any pair of prescription glasses is phenomenal. 

[Chris Galvin]

I use Kaenon's, the Hard Core (large) model.  I love the C 28 (copper, 28% visible light transmission) and C 50 (copper).  I also use Y 35 (yellow) on gray days.

[Chris Smorul]

Great insight Todd.  I have glasses but rarely wear them while fishing, although they improve my vision as awhole, I find that they distort the way I perceive the surface of the water much in the way you have descrived.  I think i am going to follow your example with the non-progressive lenses.

On a side note, what color sighter are you using with the rose colored shades?

[Rashed Abdullah]

rose colored maui jims have been my favorite for the past 10 years. I like the definition an clarity with minimum distortion at the edges.

R

[Rich Strolis]

Brown or copper Smith polarchromics....Love em.  Just had to buy a new pair of Guides choice after my Vectors fell in on a stream in PA last month.   Sad thing is they discontinued that model, but the guides are pretty choice.  2 thumbs up.

[Jim Guida]

I also give the Smith glasses 2 thumbs up with copper lens

[Nick Naclerio]

I use the Suncloud with brown lenes. I love em no complaints.

[Anita Coulton]

I agree in large part, that polarized glasses are a personal choice.  They need to fit well and perform well under a variety of conditions (lighting/cloud cover/rain).  Finding a good pair (or a few pair) that fit the bill and perform well is certainly an individual decision for all of us.  There are many great companies out there.  Personally for me, Maui Jims have worked well for many years.  My brother in-law is an opthamologist, so I've been able to get feedback (and discount!) from him, which has helped.  I've heard great things about Smith, although have never worn them.  I have a much smaller head than most of you, so finding a good fit for me has been challenging.  I realize that function is much more important than fashion on the water, but it's not my goal to look like a slee-stack out there either.  I'm always looking for ways to increase my effectiveness while on the water, and good, functional, polarized glasses are a critical part of that, for sure.

[Chris Puchniak]

I do like Maui Jim's for their clarity, but I also keep a cheap pair of Cabela's around when i am fishing with the kids - invariably, they find ways to break my Maui Jim's every now and then, and the cost to keep fixing them sucks. 

One thing to keep in mind on polarized lenses is that not all polariztion is equal. Some are poorly polarized, while others are good.  Two quick ways to check are to (Most of you may know this):

1) grab two pairs and hold them in line with one at 90 degrees to the other, but so that you are looking through one lens of each pair simultaneously.  As you rotate the glasses around, when they are at 90 degree angles to each other, the lenses should black out nearly 100%, but be clear at any other time.

2) hold a pair of glasses and look through one lens at an LCD screen.  Rotate the glasses and the LCD screen should black out 100% when the glasses are at a 45 degree angle to the LCD.

If blackout isn't complete or at the degrees stated, the quality of the polarization is not good and may not be any more effective on the water than standard glasses.