Sunglasses are an essential piece of our fly fishing kit. Firstly, and most importantly, they give our eyes important protection when fishing and of course they allow us to peer into the watery environment of our target fish.
When it comes to eye protection I can’t seem to remember having a close shave when I have been guiding but the nasty ones have been when a fly has been caught in a tree and the angler pulls the fly free and it flies back at us or a hook hold on a fish has come loose with similar results. These things can happen to the most experienced of anglers and you can’t factor them in to your day, so I always make sure my guests wear a pair of sunnies before hitting the water just in case. The Internet is full of pictures of anglers with hooks in their eyes that one look will be enough to make sure you always slip a pair on.
As fly anglers it is the Polaroid lenses that we are interested in as the coating on the lenses cuts out glare from the water. We all want to go fishing looking as stylish as possible but non Polaroid lenses only darken the scene you are looking at, not good.
I am often asked by first time flats anglers what they should be taking with them. Near the top of the list is a decent pair of sunglasses. There is nothing more soul destroying than your guide shouting to you that they have seen four bones at 50 feet and you are scratching your head as you can’t see them, no matter how hard you look.
Conversely if you are firing a shooting head to trout on a Midlands reservoir why spend top money on the finest lenses for your sunglasses?
This is where we are spoilt with the variety of styles, lens colours and of course costs.
Generally speaking, lens choice is down to the sort of fishing you’ll be doing and at what time of day. For lowlight conditions like start and end of day yellow lenses work really well. If you are heading off for some open water fishing in the salt then mirrored lenses usually in green and blue are popular.
What I always look for is a good all-rounder that I can use in a variety of fishing and light conditions. Amber, grey and copper lens colours tick the boxes well and my personal preference is for a copper lens. I have used a pair now that I have fished on flats, cast to spotted fish in NZ and wear on a daily basis on the river where I work. They work perfectly in a variety of light conditions and I have never thought that I needed anything else.
We have tried a few pairs that we thought were worthy of mention.
Eyelevel Fishspotter – Great value, tough, light and comfortable to wear. They wrap around your face really well so no light gets in at the sides. Also comes with a case and all for £14.99.
Catch Pro Sunglasses- Come with a frame and 3 different interchangeable lenses that cover conditions from the dullest to the brightest of days. A really good idea. £43.99
Rapala Vision Gear Shadow – I like these aviator style glasses that come with a case, cleaning cloth and lanyard. The lens was good and the glasses comfortable. They have a rubber nose pad that is adjustable so you can ensure they are a good fit. £47.99
Costa Del Mar – If you going all guns blazing for the best of the best then look no further. Quality, hard wearing and super stylish. The quality of the lens is outstanding. Lots of choice of frames too. Also available in prescription From £179.99
A massive thank you to our local tackle store that let us choose, take home and try out the glasses we featured!