If you really enjoy fishing and do it a lot, you should have a good pair of polarized sunglasses. Being able to see into the fish's environment affords anglers much improved casts, the ability to target individual fish, the ability to make lure choices based on what they see going on with the water clarity and forage and much more. So choosing quality sunglasses built for the needs of fishermen should be a decision based on the best options for fishing.

When choosing sunglasses for fishing, it's important to consider several factors and weigh several key ingredients and options. These choices to consider should include but are not limited to the following:

• Fit and Comfort
• Lens Coverage
• Light Blocking
• Clarity Enhancements
• Lens Colors

We've previously discussed choosing lens colors in another resource article. So we'll leave that stand alone piece to cover that topic. But, lets go through each of the other features to see why each factor is important to your fishing.

FIT AND COMFORT OF SUNGLASSES FRAMES

One of the most important things with fishing sunglasses is choosing frames that fit your head so that they are comfortable on long days on the water. Also in this same consideration should be features that keep the sunglasses fitting nicely on your face. Things like no-slip nose pads, ear pads, etc. can keep your sunglasses up on your face and where they should be comfortably all day. 

One of the biggest things is making sure the sunglasses fit the frame of your head. If you have a larger head, you want to go with a L or XL frame size so that you are getting good coverage as well as no pinching on your temples which can lead to headaches.

Island Optics offers many different frame styles to fit a variety of angler faces. You don't want to just make big frames and have them be loose on anglers with smaller heads. You also want to make sure the lenses are centered on your eyes.  So Island Optics focuses on providing options to cover various sized heads of anglers in a wide variety that can provide everyone with a good fit and high-functioning pair of sunglasses.

LENS COVERAGE OF FISHING SUNGLASSES

I personally prefer a larger frame when fishing. I care much less about how it looks on my face than I do how much it helps me see peripherally into the water. A lot of anglers still don't understand how to see into the water with polarized lenses. Polarization takes the glare away by filtering light but also helping increase your peripheral vision which is more important when trying to see into the water. 

When looking for spots to fish, learn to look across the whole plane of the water's surface. Don't try to peer down into one specific spot. As you train your eyes to look peripherally into the water, you will be able see things pop out if you have a good pair of polarized sunglasses. You learn to see dark spots, bright spots, and other changes in contour, edges, etc. This is one of the earliest skills you can learn as an angler that will greatly benefit your catches for years to come.

BLOCKING SIDE AND TOP LIGHT AROUND FRAMES

A good pair of sunglasses blocks what we call ancillary light. The OX2 proprietary polarized lenses Island Optics builds, like other high-end lenses, block out all the harmful rays and filter light while also reducing the surface's glare to let you see better into the water from the front. However, a good frame blocks out sunlight that will come in from the top or from the side or even behind you that doesn't come in through the lens. The more side light and backlight you let into your eyes, the less effective your sunglasses will be for seeing clearly into the water.

It's also the reason Island Optics make multiple frames of various sizes because people have such wide ranges of facial construction that one pair of sunglasses won't work for everyone. It's also why a lot of anglers prefer larger frames for fishing because there is more coverage area on the lenses, and those frames usually have high sides and fit tight to your eyebrows. This keeps your eyes filtering all your light through high grade, specially treated lenses.

CLARITY ENHANCEMENTS, COATINGS AND FILTERING

Not only are the lenses formulated to block all of the harmful rays, and filter out the rays that cause glare and reflection, but the Island Optics OX2 lenses are also chemically treated to enhance your viewing. We add several layers of coatings to the lenses that serve a lot of purposes. First we have a hydrophobic coating that repels water so your lenses stay clear of sweat, rain, spray from the water. Then we add a oleophobic coating that helps reduce adherence of oils from skins to keep the lenses free of smudges and smears. These coatings also make your glasses super easy to clean and always looking like new. 

Additional coatings are applied for cosmetics as well as different filtering options to keep UVA and UVB rays from getting through. So you can have varied base colors and then have a mirror coating applied over that. And both are protected by an anti-scratch coating. 

The ultimate goal is to provide the cleanest clearest lenses we can so that your vision is not only protected but enhanced on the water. Because your eyes will always be your best tool as an angler.

LENS COLOR OPTIONS

The base colors, combined with overlays of color and mirror finishes can make your fishing sunglasses not only very attractive but also greatly enhance the color and vision of everything around you. Most people don't realize that the brighter the sun, the more haze is created in the air, especially on very humid days. A good pair of fishing sunglasses makes colors and contrasts much more vibrant so you can perceive the smallest of details while on the water.

Any avid angler has a story about some minute detail they noticed on the water that led to a great fishing day or one of his most memorable catches coming from something he saw in the water. Matching your lenses to the waters you fish can give you an enhanced advantage over just any polarized sunglasses options. Having a green or amber base while fishing in freshwater environments can sometimes offer better vision than a grey-based lens in that environment. An amber lens base can sometimes be the best of all worlds and work in lower lights better than a grey base. While a grey base may work a lot better for open waters and very bright sunny conditions. So saltwater guys often like a grey base or blue base where freshwater guys like an amber or green base. 

And then you have options like our new OX2 Low Light Lens where we start with a more yellow amber base to filter in more light for darker environments like early mornings, late evenings, shaded pockets and cloudy, rainy days of fishing. 

Having these color options means you can find not only a great pair of high quality sunglasses but you can actually tailor them to your local fishing environments.