Which polarizing goggles for fishing to choose?

Recently, goggles with polarizing filters have become an indispensable accessory for most advanced anglers, especially those who are into spinning or fly fishing. Those who have already had the opportunity to use such glasses, on personal experience can realize how convenient and practical it is. Such an attribute gives new additional opportunities:

• to monitor the wiring;
• behavior of the bait in the water;
• see obstacles on the bottom;
• spot fish lurking under snags.

What are polarizing glasses?

These are sunglasses, which due to special polarizing filters allow you to cut off the glare arising on the surface of the water. And therefore it is better to see what is happening in the water column. It should be understood that the radius of action of the polarizing effect is limited. Therefore, it will vary depending on what angle to the water and at what height is the angler.

As a rule, for most polarizing glasses, the radius of tangible effect is limited to a distance of 10-15 m. Therefore, they achieve maximum effect in the near coastal zone or at a small distance from the boat. Which goggles to choose for fishing?

Material and frame

Inexpensive segment. In the case of fishing polarizing glasses, a lot depends on the price. For example, inexpensive models are usually made using plastic, which does not have any protective properties.

The material from which the lenses are made: either plastic or glass. And here everything is not as unambiguous as many people used to think. Glass does not necessarily have to be better.

It is necessary to realize that glasses used for fishing, often find themselves in very harsh conditions, being tested for strength by wind, rain, sand and dust. Ordinary inexpensive plastic in such conditions will quickly get scratched and it will be more expensive to use such “polarics”. What can not be said about glass, it is itself more abrasion-resistant. And if also with special treatment, such glasses can serve for several seasons without losing their marketable appearance.

But glass also has its own disadvantage – it is a heavier weight, which has a very significant value when worn for a long time.

Quality glasses. A special place is occupied by glasses of expensive series. In them, most manufacturers use filters made of special plastics, the surface of which is treated to increase durability. Such models have minimal weight and are designed for use in the widest range of conditions and temperature regimes. In addition, the use of plastic is also due to safety considerations. After all, in case of trouble, plastic is much less traumatizing than glass.

Theframe in glasses is no less important than the filters themselves, because it determines not only the total weight, but also the level of comfort. If the frame will sit uncomfortably, you can forget about all the useful benefits of wearing glasses. When trying on glasses, it is very important that they are felt as little as possible on the head. The less they feel, the longer you can wear them without taking them off. But they must still fit securely. Many frames are designed for the Asian market, which means they are designed for other facial features.

Colors and shades

Polarizing glasses come in a variety of colors and filter transparency. The main question facing the angler: polarizing goggles for fishing how to choose from all the variety on the market?

Filters come in different colors and different saturation.

• • If we are talking about glasses with 100% polarization, then universal are considered gray.
  • Brown shades also give maximum polarization. Such glasses are best suited for clear weather, but they are worse at transmitting light on a cloudy day. But with such filters more contrast is seen fish in the water, which is often more important.
  • In addition to gray and brown shades, it is very common to find glasses with yellow filters. If they are light yellow lenses, they are more likely to come with a lower polarization coefficient. 60-80% or lower, which, when checked, can be assessed immediately on the spot.

Dark yellow tints have a higher polarization effect. Yellow glasses are maximized in cloudy weather and low-light conditions. Such light filters intensify the incoming light and make the environment perceived by the eye brighter and more intense. In addition, in the water they emphasize the silhouettes of fish, which allows you to distinguish them from other objects on the bottom.

• For fishing in very bright sun conditions, for example, on the sea, on big water in the height of summer, there are glasses with mirror effects. But such glasses will lose to gray, brown or yellow glasses in cloudy weather on small bodies of water.
• There are also photochromic filters with a “chameleon effect”, which are able to darken or lighten depending on the intensity of light. Such models of filters are very often found among ordinary sunglasses or diopter sunglasses. Some manufacturers produce most of their lineup of polarizing glasses in several variants – photochromic and ordinary.

To test the polarizing properties of glasses there is a simple and demonstrative way. You need to take two pairs of glasses, put one on yourself, and place the other in front of them with the temples in the opposite direction. Then it is necessary to turn the second glasses vertically until the view is completely darkened. In this case polarization of both glasses will be close to 100%. If the view is not completely obscured by this action, it means that at least one of these glasses has a lower polarization percentage.

Overlay filters

For those who wear diopter glasses, there are several options for using polarizing filters.

• The first is special overlays that are attached to the glasses on fixing clips. There are also similar overlays, but they are attached to the visor of the cap. Such glasses have special clips that fix the filters at an optimal distance from the eyes, but they have no temples. Such glasses are convenient because nothing presses on the head and ears, and this is a very important nuance.
• There are also glasses with dioptrics, which themselves have a polarizing effect, but their main disadvantage is that they are very rare and it is very problematic to find a suitable model on sale. But recently more and more manufacturers have started to produce models of polarizing glasses, which are put on top of dioptric glasses. Their design allows wearing two pairs of glasses with maximum possible comfort.

Eyewear accessories

In addition to the glasses themselves, you will also need some accessories to them, which will allow the glasses to serve faithfully and faithfully for many years. There are special hard cases for glasses for safe transportation. Many of them have a special loop for external attachment, for example, on a backpack or bag. Also in this case it will not be superfluous to put a microfiber cloth to wipe the lenses in case of contamination, which happens constantly on fishing, especially if it rains. And in order not to lose the glasses during fishing, it is worth equipping them with a lanyard, which is worn through the neck. He in the case of falling glasses will keep them not only from loss, but also from damage.

Many companies, especially in the more expensive segment, initially complete their glasses with all the necessary accessories, but they may not always be convenient, and you can buy everything you need in any store related to optics.

Conclusion

So, let’s summarize.

Polarizing glasses protect from glare on the water, and therefore help to better see what is happening in its thickness.

When choosing such glasses for fishing pay attention to:

1. Material

Advantage: belonging to the inexpensive segment, light weight.

Disadvantage: susceptibility to scratches and other abrasives.

Exception: expensive series with damage protection.

Advantage: less prone to scratches, especially with special protective treatment.

Disadvantage: weight

2. frame

3. Lens colors

• universal: gray, brown, photochromic (“chameleon”) models.
• clear weather: brown.
• cloudy weather: yellow.
• large water area and a lot of sun: mirrored.

4. For those who wear glasses with diopters, there are clip-on filters that are attached to the frame with clips. There are polarizing models that can be worn over basic glasses.

5. Accessories:

• hard case for safe transportation, protection from scratches.
• A lanyard to hang folded glasses around your neck.

Author: Bob Nudd is an expert fisherman with over 20 years experience and winner of many competitions.