[Jake Bannon]

Looking into a good pair of polarized for low water steelhead and salmon fishing. Since they come in different lense colors....ect I was gonna see in any of you guys had maybe a perfered pair you liked for this northwest region? I got some cheapos now but Ive fully come to the conclusion when sight fishing low water steelhead, a good pair is definitley in order to be really successful at spotting fish before they see youl. So again, if anyone here has a pair they are very happy with I'm all ears. Thanks


Jake

 

[Porter]

lots of good ones out there. I have action optics and they have been nice for me. I have tried several colors and I like the amber color the best. Worth the $$$. Or you can get older models/styles on close-outs sometimes.

 

[salt dog]

lots of good ones out there. I have action optics and they have been nice for me. I have tried several colors and I like the amber color the best. Worth the $$$. Or you can get older models/styles on close-outs sometimes.

iagree
For streams and shallow lakes, amber or copper does the trick, and Action Optics puts out an amazing variety to suit the purpose, including for wide or narrow heads. Anything plastic will scratch and be soon worthless. Also think about photo sensitive glasses, that lighten up as you approach that magical time right before sun down...extends the time you can use them to cut glare. Find a pair with non-slip rubber built into the nose bridge and you're good to go.

 

[IveofIone]

I too like the amber lenses. But for cloudy days(we have a few of those in the Northwest) and the late evening light or a river canyon after the sun goes behind the hill, I find that the yellow lenses let far more light in but still provide the polarization that is needed to combat the glare. Yellow is also good for driving on cloudy days and late evening.

Since I need prescription bifocals I buy Cocoons or Fitovers to wear over them. I guess I am pretty careful with them as a pair seems to last 3 years or more, very little trouble with scratching.

Ive

 

[soundflycaster]

I also like the yellow lenses for gray days and low light conditions. For bright days I like the brown color lens as these work great with all light colored bottom structure and can be used salt and fresh waters everywhere. I have had the most durability out of RayBans. I have had glass and plastic for lenses and glass is easier to care for but if you are religious about using the proper cleaning kit plastic will last a long time.

 

[Guest]

Oakly Half Jackets in Amber.

 

[Gary Thompson]

Cheap sun glasses.com
I like amber for low light.
"sun glasses so dark they won't know your name"

 

[Lazy Drifter]

Smith Photochromic is what I've been wearing for the last few years after many cheap pairs. I can't compare them to other quality brands but they work for me. Set you back about $140

 

[bitterroot]

Many of the high end brands offer glasses with easily interchangeable lenses. Cover all possible conditions.

 

[Don Freeman]

I have the Action Optics "Padres" with built in bifocals in copper. Worn them everyday for 4 years, no scratches or loose hinges, versatile for most water conditions, including reading water when drifting rivers.

 

[Michael Nelson]

I have a pair of Smith / Action Optics "Chambers". They were quite expensive ($179) but I was willing to pay more for the Techlite glass lenses, figuring it would be more scratch resistant than plastic. They're also photochromic which has been useful during lower light conditions.

On my first fishing trip with them I managed to get a couple scratches smack in the middle of the left lens. I was pretty careful with them and have no idea how it happened. Obviously it's not a warranty issue, but I wrote to Smith and asked them about a non-warranty repair. They responded promptly, saying that they can't replace the lens, but they would sell me a replacement pair for $70.

I will probably take them up on it, but I think that's the last pair of $179 sunglasses I will buy. In the future, I will buy cheapies and toss 'em when they get scratched.

 

[scottflycst]

Don't flame me for this, Walmart sells a few lines of decent glass lensed shades. I've been wearing a pair of Carribean Sun since last summer and like them just as much as my Smiths. Think I paid $70. bucks for them in a hard case.

 

[Salmo_g]

I began by wearing cheap polarized sun glasses. The two main advantages of them is they were cheap and lightweight. Then I moved up to optical glass, which is more comfortable on my eyes for long days of wearing, but uncomfortable to wear due to the heavier weight. Then I got my first pair of Maui Jim sunglasses (rose colored lense, a variant of amber in practice). They are plastic lenses, but cause no eyestrain even when I wear them for very long days in the tropics. They are very light, and I often forget that I'm wearing them. They can scratch, but the overall comfort makes it worth it for me. I'm on my third pair, having dropped the first in a river, and the second were stolen from my car. I must really like them.

Sg

 

[Mayfly Aviator]

Smith photochromatic copper lens is perfect for bright days. In the evenings I prefer amber as well. As for sources...reioutlet.com, sierratradingpostoutlet.com, steepandcheap.com, backcountry.com, Big 5....

 

[Mumbles]

I traded a decent reel that was excess in my collection for a pair of Smith photochromatics. I have worn them as my primary sunglasses now, fishing, driving, whatever. The seem very comfortable on the eyes, fit my melon head pretty well and allow me to see things clearly beneath the glared surface. Tough to improve my looks, but these glasses look good too. I have had good success with cheapos and other high dollar ones but since these were getting mentioned I wanted to add my favorable experience with them.

 

[Tyler B]

Regardless of what kind you get, glass, plastic, amber, yellow, expensive, cheap etc... make sure that they wrap around the side of your face well and cut as much of the side light out as possible. If they are going to be strictly fishing glasses you might even consider getting side shields as an add on to help eliminate all the side light, I would stay away from the wire frame style, they typically don't hug your face as well as the larger styles do. Might even look for a hat that has a slightly longer, wider bill to help with the light issue as well. Amber is a great all around color, but light yellow is a bit better for low light conditions, the photocromatic is a great option to go with but you will pay the $$$$ for them. Action optics (Smith) is a great company and very customer friendly, so dont throw your money away for the cheap stuff, if you can afford them support your local fly shop and buy a warrantied pair of glasses, they will usually be more than willing to repair or in most cases replace your broken or scratched glasses to keep you as a return customer.

 

[steelydan]

iagree
For streams and shallow lakes, amber or copper does the trick, and Action Optics puts out an amazing variety to suit the purpose, including for wide or narrow heads. Anything plastic will scratch and be soon worthless. Also think about photo sensitive glasses, that lighten up as you approach that magical time right before sun down...extends the time you can use them to cut glare. Find a pair with non-slip rubber built into the nose bridge and you're good to go.

Exactly what I would have said.

 

[David Loy]

2 scents
Amber is traditional & very good for low light & generates high contrast but I don't care for the pukey color. I'd say for LOW light just get some clear lenses (safety glasses) to protect your eyes from errant flies. On a brighter day the copper lens is good and many prefer grey for really bright conditions. I really like the Maui Rose (Maui Jims) for an all around lens. The pair I have is pretty heavy though. I'm about to look for something lighter weight and therefore probably polycarbonite.
Free advise, what did you expect.

 

[Now Gone]

I really like the Maui Rose (Maui Jims) for an all around lens.

I will add my vote for Maui Jims. Though, mine are very light. I have worn them all day without even knowing they were there ...

 

[Phishy]

I agree with most posts here regarding lens choices and especially agree with the wrap around frame. I bought a pair of Native Silencer polarized glasses from REI a few years back and they have been the best fishing/hiking/driving/all purposes shades I have had. They are lightweight, have removable lenses, air ventilation at the top and they wrap around my face nicely. I have the silver reflex polarized lens for bright conditions, an amber/brown polarized for fishing and other stuff and a yellow lens which came 'free' with the silver reflex. I was surprised how great the yellow lens was in low light conditions and use them more often then I thought. The glasses are not cheap but they aren't crazy expensive either.