Sunglasses for Fishing

A Comprehensive Guide to Buying Sunglasses for Fishing Online

Fishing, a Great British pastime that is only increasing in popularity. One of the few hobbies that takes people directly to nature and back to one of our most natural instincts. Although if three hours sat by a lake side taught me anything, its that my natural instincts are either out of tune or none existence and that I am unlike to survive the next apocalypse. However, what instincts I lack in fishing I make up for in eyewear knowledge. Here's our guide to what you should be looking for when fishing. This is a comprehensive guide but if you just want a quick overview click here or

Eyekit's Top 10 Recommendations of Fishing Eyewear - Click here

Which type of lenses should I choose for Fishing?

Polarised lensThese are extremely important for fishing. Light reflected off the water creates glare which makes it impossible to see what's happening beneath the water's surface. When in direct sunlight polarised fishing sunglasses are essential, especially when you need to see what the fish are doing or be able to identify any hidden rocks. Polarised lenses reduce reflected light, improve visual comfort and prevent eye fatigue. For more information on polarised lenses click here.

Lens MaterialIts always best to go for a polycarbonate or NXT lens material. This is because unlike your regular glasses, in an active sports environment your sunglasses need a little more durability and impact resistance. For example, I recently slipped on my way to the lake edge and my sunglasses fell off hitting a rock, fortunately without damage. Better to have the extra protection than regret it later. All the sports frames on our website already have durable lens, however, if you are choosing a prescription package make sure you select either polycarbonate or NXT.

Wiley X have specially designed polarised lens made out of shatter proof Selenite Polycarbonate. The polarised filter is placed in the middle of the lens, making sure that the filter stays untouched and protected against damage while wearing and cleaning them. Their lenses also have been through ANSI High Velocity Impact/ VD Ballistic Tests which means the lenses must withstand the impact of a 6.35 mm diameter steel ball fired at 164.6 km/h (ANSI) or 3.8 mm projectiles fired at 700-720 km/h (spectacle VD Ballistic). This ensures their lenses and frames are practically indestructible.

Mirror coating/ Anti-Reflective (AR) Applied to the back surface of a lens, AR coatings offers better visual acuity to judge distance and improves accuracy by eliminating light reflections on the inside of the lens. Mirror coating are good for situations that require a reduction in the overall brilliance of light, such as the sunlight reflecting on the water surface.  Hydrophobic CoatingHydrophobic coatings sheds water and improves the lens ability to prevent smudging and grime building up on the lens. Because hydrophobic coatings make the front surface slippery it can also help improve scratch resistance. Scratch ReistantIts always a good idea to have a scratch resistant coating or lens for general wear and tear. Wiley X do have their own extreme scratch-resistant coating (22% better than nearest competitor - NSL analysis) UV Protection Look for UVA, B, and C for 100% protection - although this is not something you need to worry about when buying through Eyekit as most of our eyewear comes with UVA, B, C protection as standard. Photochromic/ Interchangeable lensesThis is great for anyone fishing in Britain with all the changeable weather. These allow you to benefit the most from just one pair of sunglasses. Photochromic lenses darken or lighten dependent on their exposure to ultraviolet (UV). Although it is rare to find a photochromic polarised lens (unless you are selecting a prescription) we have a good selection on our website to choose from. Click here to see all the photochromic and polarised sunglasses available. 

Interchangeable lenses are an alternative to photochromic lenses. Most interchangeable sunglasses are supplied with two to three lenses that will provide a solution to most light conditions. Examples of brands with interchangeable polarised lenses are as follows: Wiley X: Airrage, Brick, P-17, Rudy Project: Magster, Rydon, Ryzer. Mattie Curfs and Hans Sissingh- World Carp Classics 2015 Winners -"Wiley X styles with different tints, which gives us the comfort of knowing that no matter the conditions, we will always be able to find a tint for the current weather conditions. The models we have used so far have all provided us with a perfect fit which is ever so important when using them for hours after hours of fishing."

Lens Tints/ Lens Category. This depends on the light conditions you usually fish in as well as the location.

Grey- Minimises colour distortion and are a good choice for fishermen in the brightest sunlight. Grey lenses enhance dark fish and are the best overall solution for deep water fishing when you are dealing with intense glare and bright sunlight. Click here for all Grey Polarised fishing sunglasses.

Brown- Brown polarised filters are very effective at cutting through water glare and are a good all round solution. They improve contrast so that fish can be easily seen in shallow water and bring out grassy water bottoms. Darker brown are better suited to high glare situations and light brown suitable for low light conditions.-  Click here for all Brown polarised lenses.

Orange/ Amber- with polarised filters are best used for fishing in overcast or low light conditions. Generally, the closer the lens tint matches the background the more the lens will make the fish stand out. Orange lenses increases contrast enabling fish to be seen better in low to medium light conditions accentuating sandy bottoms of shallow water. -Click here for all Orange/amber polarised lenses.

Yellow- Though the least effective polarised, they can be effective in highly overcast or low light conditions. Click here for all yellow polarised lenses. Peter Hornak- 2015 Trout Union Cup Winner is an advocator for yellow lenses. "During 2015 I won the prestigious Lure Fishing World Championship as well as the European Champion- The Trout Union Cup. WX Arrow model with yellow lenses one of my favourite Wiley X models I use helped me to win these competition. I used them mainly during cloudy weather and they performed at a 100%"

What type of frame should I choose for fishing?

Wraparound FramesThis has an extensive curvature on the fr