Pin It

Polarized Sunglasses for Fishing

Roger Greenway | Mar 30, 2011 |

0 Comments | Rating: 0

Tips for Buying Polarized Sunglasses

Polarized sunglasses are an often overlooked part of fishing. However, by reducing glare, polarized sunglasses can certainly help you catch more fish. In fact, many fishermen list polarized sunglasses at the top of their list of important gear.

What Is Polarization?

Before you go out and buy a pair of polarized sunglasses, it is important to understand what polarization is and how polarized sunglasses work.

Light particles from the sun are scattered in all different directions. When sunlight is reflected off the water, however, the particles are all aligned in the same direction. This is what is called polarization. When you see a bright glare on the water, you are basically seeing polarized light. This can obviously cause a lot of eye strain when you are fishing, but it also prevents you from seeing underwater structure more clearly. Sometimes when you cast, for instance, you are unable to see the rocks and other types of structure that are right in front of you.

Polarized lenses filter out polarized light and allow you to see without the glare.

What to Look for When Buying Polarized Sunglasses

Material: There are several different types of lens material.

1. Acrylic: Acrylic polarized lenses are generally cheaper than others. They eliminate 99% of reflected glare, and they are moderately durable.
2. Polycarbonate: These types of lenses are a bit more expensive than acrylic lenses. However, they are far more durable.
3. Glass: Glass lenses are more expensive and heavier than the other types of lenses. However,they are scratch resistan. Many experienced fishermen prefer these types of lenses for their durability.

Lens Tint: The tint of the lens also makes a difference in terms of contrast and distortion.

Copper: Copper lenses absorb blue-light. This leads to a high level of contrast, making these types of lenses ideal for river or stream situations in which the fish can be seen in the water. The high level of contrast created by these lens make it easier to see structure and other objects in the water.
Grey: Grey lenses absorb all colors of the visible spectrum. This is a great lens for lake fishing. Amber: Amber lenses are great for situations like early morning, when there is not a lot of light.
Brown: Brown lenses create a high level of contrast while retaining actual colors. In other words, there is not a lot of distortion. Like copper lenses, brown lenses are great for stream fishing in which there is a lot of structure in the water.

Although they are sometimes overlooked part of a fisherman’s gear, polarized sunglasses are nonetheless an important factor when it comes to fishing. And remember, polarized glasses are great in all situations in terms of reducing eye fatigue.