It is an accepted fact that the sun’s rays can cause
eye damage. Running full out in my Ranger exposes my eyes to other hazards
as well, including wind, bugs, and sometimes rain and hail. Quality
sunglasses to protect my eyes are a necessity, not a luxury.
There are a lot of good sunglasses on the market,
designed for a multitude of different activities. For fishing, however, it
is paramount to have glasses that have polarized lenses of the highest
optical quality. Over the years, I have tried countless different brands
and styles, but the brand I prefer is Maui Jim.
While most polarized glasses block only direct glare,
Maui Jim’s PolarizedPlusÒ
technology blocks glare from all directions - direct, reflected and
bounceback glare (if you can see your eyelashes reflected in your lenses
that’s bounceback glare!). All I know is that when I wear them everything
looks sharply focused – with no distortion at all!
They also feature nine layers of lens protection, which
is great when a bug hits your glasses at 60+ mph or when your non-boater
lobs a spinnerbait at your head! The quality of the lenses is important
too. Have you ever noticed your eyes getting tired, or you get a headache
when you’ve been out in the sun with your sunglasses on? Lenses with poor
optical quality can cause that. Several years ago, an optician friend
demonstrated the difference between well-made sunglasses and poor quality
ones. No more sun-caused headaches.
I really like my Maui Jim Sports Collection Rocky Point
glasses. They are VERY light weight – I almost forget I have them on, which
is great when I spend 9 to 12 hours on the water. With some glasses, I
would have ridges on my nose from the heavier frames and lenses, but not
with these. I chose an amber/rose color lens, which works well at first
light and in the fog. Not having to think about my heavy glasses or fight
glare all day gives me more time to concentrate on the task at hand --
catching bass!
So, do yourself a favor and invest in a high-quality
pair of polarized sunglasses. Your eyes will thank you. Check out Maui Jim
at
www.mauijim.com. You should see what you could be missing… like that
four-pounder under that log!