Everybody raves about them, but what exactly are they, and why should you get some for your fishing? In this piece Julian Grattidge explains the benefits of polarized glasses.
I’ll be honest, when I first started fishing I had no idea what all the fuss was about. I thought polarised glasses were just a posh name for sunglasses and were simply an excuse to double the price tag – if only I knew then what I know now. I really don’t think it would be exaggeration if I said I could have doubled my catch rate in my early years if I had got myself a decent set of polarised glasses. So what are they exactly and how do they differ from normal sunglasses?
Direct light comes down vertically and then bounces off surfaces horizontally to produce horizontal light, otherwise known as glare, and lenses on a normal pair of sunglasses will allow both vertical light (direct light) and horizontal light (glare) to pass through the lens. However, through utilising a polarising filter, the lens is able to allow vertical light to pass through the lens as normal, but stop, or ‘absorb’ the horizontal light which causes glare.
But what does this mean in terms of fishing? Well, when you look at the surface of any lake, the strength of the reflection you see bouncing back up at you will be governed by the amount of direct light that is hitting it – the stronger the direct light, the more glare will bounce up off the surface to prevent you seeing anything below. Now, by adding a polarising filter, you effectively remove all the glare from the surface, which in turn allows you to see well down in to the water, several meters depending on water clarity, the result of which is that you can spot the fish before they spot you!
Polarised glasses really are a specimen anglers best friend, and I could not even begin to imagine how many fish I’ve caught due my wearing them. But it’s not just specimen anglers who should wear them. Because a huge amount of glare bounces off water, it can often lead to you feeling drowsy or will give rise to hedaches. Polarised glasses will stop this from happening and will keep you much sharper.
They are great away from the bank too, and will help to improve your vision immensely when driving, enabling you to clearly distinguish between lines and textures at distance. There are countless different types out there with many different coloured lenses so which should you go for, and which are best for fishing?
Grey or smoked lenses are excellent for bright sunny days, and they transmit all colours evenly. A good all-round lens in fishing terms. Grey will transmit all colours of the spectrum and enhances colour relationships so there is minimal distortion. Also ideal for bright days and open water.
Brown lenses are good all rounders, they can be used on bright days, but are well suited to overcast and cloudy conditions. Brown is a very high-contrast colour so highlights visual acuity and aids contrast, especially when ambient light is lacking.
Yellow lenses are excellent for low light, and overcast conditions. They are also good for dawn and dusk, so ideal for fishing floater fishing at dusk as the lenses enhance available light.
Without my polarised glasses there is no way I would have caught this Capesthorne lump!
It’s a common misconception that polarised glasses are only used during the summer months. Nothing could be further from the truth and I always have my polarised glasses with me whenever I go fishing, and they are just as invaluable in winter as they are in summer for cutting out the glare and helping me stay in touch with fish movements.
There are many online suppliers of polarised fishing glasses, but we’ve picked out a couple of choice suppliers to make things easy for you. First are the polarised glasses on offer from Fishtec. They have a great range to suit all budgets, and as many of you will no doubtbe one a budget, then you’ll be pleased to know that we’ve spotted them for under £4 on their website – CLICK HERE to see if they have any left. To see their vast range, CLICK HERE to visit Fishtec.
To get a proper set of prescription lenses made can be quite pricy, but we recently come across Spex4less, a company who can supply prescription polarised lenses from just £65.00, which is a bit of a bargain. For more details, CLICK HERE to visit Spex4Less.
We’d like to point out that any purchases made using the above links will also help to fund the upkeep of this website, so if you do make a purchase, then give yourself a big pat on the back from us!
