Finding a good pair of sunglasses with the proper lens color for fly fishing can be harder than you think with all of the available options. You want a pair that blocks the sun and glare on clear, sunny days, but you also need a pair that can adjust to cloudy, rainy conditions. With the unpredictable weather that is common throughout the Rocky Mountain region, it may feel like you need a different pair of sunglasses for every hour of the day.
Different lens shades and colors allow for different amounts of light to filter through, making it easier to block sun glare and see through the water. Popular lens shades are blue mirror, green mirror, silver mirror, copper, and yellow, and depending on the conditions, each lens works differently.
With all of the different shade possibilities out there, and each one having different benefits, it can be hard to narrow your choices down to one pair. Here are some of the best sunglasses for fishing in each condition to help you.
Best Glasses for Bright Sun
For bright sunny conditions, Costa’s 580G green mirror glasses and Smith’s bronze mirror glasses are great options. The Costa brand is built on products that are meant to be worn on the water. Their green mirror glasses are lightweight and comfortable, but also durable. These polarized glasses retail on the Costa website for $259.00 but are also available elsewhere online for anywhere from $160-$200.
The Smith bronze mirror glasses are also a good choice for bright, sunny conditions. Smith is another outdoor brand with products designed for being outside in the sun, and on the water. Their bronze mirror glasses are also lightweight and are equipped with Colorpop technology which enhances contrast and natural color to make details pop. These glasses are similar in price to the Costa green mirror glasses at $259.00 and are available online or retail stores.
Best Glasses for Cloudy Conditions
When the clouds roll in and or the sun goes down, the Costa sunrise lens is the perfect option for any kind of low light conditions. Like other Costa sunglasses, these silver mirrored sunrise lens glasses are designed to be comfortable to wear all day on the water. These glasses are lightweight, scratch resistant, and polarized to enhance your vision in low light. They are available online or in stores for $199.00
Best Overall Glasses
Again, the glasses you choose will depend on your activity and the light conditions, however, if you’re in search of a dependable, overall pair of glasses for outdoor, water activities, you can’t go wrong with the polar chromic lenses from Smith. These lenses transition based on the light levels so they work great in both sunny and cloudy conditions. They range from 12-20% light transition which makes them highly effective in early morning light or late afternoon glares. You can purchase these glasses at most outdoor gear retailers or online. The average retail price is $130.
