A Fish Tale? Proper Eyewear Makes all the Difference

By Paddy Kamen

While some people just enjoy being out on the water, most people who fish actually want to catch something. Jesse Martin and a close personal friend (who remains anonymous to avoid embarrassment) were fishing early this summer in Lake Osoyoos, in B.C.’s southern interior. Martin, a Kelowna-based university student, caught 12 fish, while his friend, a Vancouver-based businessman, caught just one.

“He wondered why I was so much more successful and I teased him,  saying that he had to get the lures I was using. But really, I was better because of my polarized eyewear,” explains Martin, grinning with satisfaction.

A life-long fisherman, and a semi-professional for seven years, Martin first discovered the importance of polarized eyewear when he was 18. “I had a cheap pair of polarized sunglasses that I’d worn for years. They were pretty goofy looking, and I thought they were typical of polarized eyewear. One day I was watching some anglers who seemed to have a special sense for where the fish were. They would cast out 20-30 feet beyond their boat and caught something almost every time. They said their secret was good-quality polarized eyewear.”

Martin bought a pair and was amazed at the results. “I could see the fish in the water so clearly, and two-to-three times farther out than I could with my cheap glasses. On many occasions good-quality polarized eyewear has made a bigger difference to my fishing success than any other piece of equipment.”

Fishing is considered a moderate risk for eye injuries, lower than hockey, racquet sports and baseball, according to the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Nevertheless, the risks are considerable. Anglers can easily suffer permanent eye damage from fishhooks when a fish lets go and the hook shoots backwards as the line loses tension. That happened to Martin when he was wearing a poor-quality pair of eyeglasses and the impact shattered his lens — clearly an argument for shatterproof lenses! It is not uncommon for anglers to have their lures caught in shoreline bushes or snagged by rocks and branches under the water. When this happens many individuals yank on the line, which can spring back and hit the face. Good eyewear also protects the eyes from bugs and wind-borne particulate matter, which can get into the eyes when you’re riding in a boat. “Plus, the wind can really dry out your eyes and good glasses protect against that,” notes Martin.

UV protection is, of course, essential for anyone spending time outdoors, particularly between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when 60 per cent of harmful rays reach the eyes. Water reflects 25 per cent of UV rays and 80 per cent of UV rays penetrate clouds, making adequate eye protection essential in all conditions. Sun exposure is considered a risk factor for advanced macular degeneration and cataracts.

What colour of lenses are best for anglers? As world-class bass angler Mike Iaconelli writes in The Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide:

“Lens colour is very important. I use both a grey lens and an amber lens. I carry multiple pairs of sunglasses, each with different color lenses so I can switch during the day should the conditions change. In general, I like the gray lens for extremely bright, sunny days and I like the amber for low light situations, like a rainy day. I also prefer the amber lens when I am sight fishing during the spawn, because the amber lens provides excellent contrast perception. What this does is allows you to detect the light spots or lighter areas of swept bottom easier.”1

When it comes to specialty eyewear for lenses a few choices pop out: Essilor’s Airwear Sport lenses meet the visual performance requirements for many sporting activities, including fishing. The Mistral Polarizing Brown lens eliminates glare and filters 100 per cent of UV and at least 90 per cent of harmful blue light. Essilor’s Varilux Sport lens is the perfect solution for presbyopic anglers, who need near, medium and far vision in one pair of eyeglasses. This patented Varilux design is optimized for sport and approved by wearers in a clinical study.

Wiley X offers a Fishing Climate Control series, with 99.9 per cent polarization for 100 per cent UV protection. The lenses exceed the ANSI high-velocity impact safety and optical standards. A removable facial cavity seal blocks wind, debris and peripheral light, and top down ventilation keeps eyes cool and lenses fog-free.

Jesse Martin finds it easy to convert people to polarized eyewear for fishing. “They just have to try them and invariably I hear them exclaim about how many more fish they can see. If you’re serious about catching fish, polarized glasses are must-have equipment.”

And while Martin is a competitive angler, he’s also a very decent individual. “I eventually did tell my fishing buddy that he needs a good pair of polarized sunglasses,” he admits.