Fishing Forum

[center][cool][font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3]Was looking through some pictures that I took last year and realized that you can't see much below the surface in this picture as I neglected to use a polarization filter on my camera. I was wearing Polaroid glasses at the time so I had no trouble seeing below the surface. Needless to say if you left them at home the fish have you at a divantage in their environment.[/size][/green][/font]
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You got that right. I was lucky enough to get in on a great one time only deal for the new Tri-Spectrums offered by Orvis. They are suppose to enhance the red, yellow, blues and make things much clearer. They are also glass lenses which I love, been wearing my HVO's for a year now.
They showed up a couple of weeks ago, so I put them to the test.
Was fishing a small family put and take the other day. A gentleman was watching me and we started talking. I mentioned the size of the fish swimming about 10' in front of him.....he could not see it. I dropped my Tri's and I couldn't either.....WOW! I love these things!
DR, have you ever held your polorized glasses in front of your camera for those underwater shots. I did at Yuba and that is why the fish showed up...cool.
The old man will get one of those Fuji fancy cameras with all the different lenses for his B-day. So I should look great LOL
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[cool][font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3]Hey there flygoddess never thought about holding my PR glasses in from of the camera lens. Will have to test that out as it may play tricks with the auto focus system. With today's digital don't have to worry about wasting film. Since I have to wear corrective glasses will be asking my optromitist later this month if they can incorporate a polaroid factor together with a prescription, poly-carbon & photo grays. Just might have to get a loan for all those extras. LOL[/size][/green][/font]
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Got that right. I paid $345. dollars for some reading glasses, because they were made into the seamless bi-focal. I buy the $1.00 ones now at all a dollar.
The Tri-Spectrum can be made with a perscription for like $50 more, but the starting price is $229. (Like I said, I got a killer one time only deal)
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Polarized glasses provide an additonal level of safety in crossing streams since you can see a lot more of what you are about to walk through.

Here are a couple of pictures I took in Yellowstone Park that helps demonstrate the difference.

no polarizer


with polarizer:

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I am a firm believer of Polarized lenses. I do not use prescription eye wear and I hope I have delayed the need by using my polarized lenses all my life.

I found at an early age that the Polarized lenses enabled me to better see the Salmon, Steelhead and Trout in the rivers.

On the saltwater, it helps you to identify a species about 20' quicker than the person who is not using polarization.[cool]
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You also need to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from yourself. Last year fishing took over the number one spot for the most eye injuries in sports. For many years it was basketball.

Many of the injuries happen when people are pulling on the line to unsnag their hook or it pops out of the the fish.

In fly fishing I am sure it is probably due to a screwed up cast by oneself followed by a screwed up cast of by your fishing partner.
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When fly fishing, glasses are a must. Even with them, anyone that has fished for any amount of time, has hung a fly in them somewhere.

I wore a large streamer in the end of my nose for most of a day while fishing in Montana. Another time, I was fishing a dam in Black Smith Fork, catching many large browns from the road. It took a big cast to get between the moss beds, and I was really hauling it. I hung a small fly (with barb) in my ear lobe. My rough language attracted the attention of a couple near me, and the guy came over to see what was wrong. He offered me a mirror and chair on the back of his tailgate to remove it, so I took him up on his offer. His wife poured me a cup of coffee, and I went at the fly.

I was pushing and pulling with a small pair of needle nose pliers, no pain involved, but I guess it was quite a show. When I got it out, I looked at the couple, and they were white as ghosts. It made them quite ill. I thanked them, and went back to fishing.

Turning their stomachs, made it quite memorable for me.
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I have a friend who can spot fish a lot better than myself. It was happening a lot just last week. We both wear polarized sunglasses. Trying his was of no use because he has strong prescription sunglasses and everything is a blur when I look through them.

My question is:

Are expensive glass polarized sunglasses significantly better at clarity of the fish you see or is much more the individuals ability to see the fish.

My gut feel is no they are not. It is the individuals ability. At least that was the case with the glass lens Costa Delmars that I used to have.
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I think it is largely the individual, but I can't help but think it is also the GLASSES.

I have supported the Wally World specials for years. A few years back I got the HVO's by Orvis. Glass lenses, Zero distortion, they don't scratch and clear as a bell. Worth every penny and I am automatically more carefull with them.

A month ago I recieved the new Tri-Spectrums. They are made specially for Fishermen/women. Same features as the HVO's but they have added filters to the lenses. They intensifie the primary colors (blue, green and red) creating more of a contrast at the edgesof these colors and the edges of objects This filter allows these colors to pop out.

I live withing walking distance of a CITY river that is very murky. I have seen or heard splashes come out of there but was not sure if there was even fish in there till yesterday I went for a walk with the new glasses and stopped on the bridge to see if I could see any life.....sure enough, there are trout in there that I have never noticed before.

Might have been just me seeing them but, the ol' eyes ain't what they use to be, so I am figuring the glasses made the difference.
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Polarizer for the camera.
Many of the digital camera do not have the ability to add polarized filters to them but on another forum a guy posted a little detail of how he took a polarized filter,for an old film camera (the filter which was larger than the diameter of the lens of his digital) and glued it to a piece of wood with a hole through it. Then using that universal fastner, duct tape, he tapes it over the camera lens and to his camera body when ever he wants to use it.
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I told the old man to order a new camera for his B-Day. He puts up such a fuss, but then he said I will look that much better with this new camera, so how could I say NO.
Dry Rod you might be familiar with this one, he ordered the Canon EOS Rebel XT or 350D and it does come with the polorized filter.
It also has the feature that you just HOLD the button down and it keeps snapping away instead of having to keep pushing the button.
Should be a real nice camera....they sure have come down in price, now if we can just get the overseas Pharmasutical (sp) companies to come on over, our medications will be almost affordable[laugh]

Here is a couple of pictures a friend took with this camera:
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[inline "scofield bow2 450.jpg"]

Anyway, looking forward to see what all this camera can do.
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FG....

great looking pics.. nice and clear.. and the fish look good too....[laugh]

MacFly [cool]
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I find my cheapo Rapala polarized glasses for seven bucks work just fine (even if they look stupid. My fiancee hated having me wear them in all my fish pictures from last year, and insisted I take them off for pictures this year). I'm not sure its realy nessicary to spend a small fortune on an expensive set.
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Are photo grey lenses on prescription glasses polorized?????
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Dubie, there has been so many post on the pro's and con's on the prices and quality of sunglasses. Go with what works for you.

I prefer the GLASS sunglasses cause like I said they do NOT distort and they DON'T scratch, but they do cost more. I wore the Wally Worlds for years, and I can't say I will never do it again in a pinch, but....trust me, there is a difference, specially in the quality. You can turn the lense slightly and still have the polorization, but it won't work the same.
Little test, take a pair of polorized sun glasses and turn them, you will see a difference.

Macfly....got no idea on the gray you are talking about, but they do make GRAY polorization.
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I have not taken notice of distortion with my polarized fisherman glasses. The glass ones are reputed to have low distortion but since I did not notice any with the cheap ones I did not seem to be a major issue for me. I liked the glass lenses I used to have except when I was sweating. they would seem to slide down my nose some. They also felt heavy which I did not notice too much until I wore the cheap plastic ones.

Gray colored lenses are not as good as brown /copper or yellow lenses for fishing. Yellow is better for dim light conditions. Brown is better in the middle of the day.
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Right you are about them being heavier, but the HVO's and the Tri-Spetrum are so well balanced, plus the rubber on the ear piece is nice. I imagine the only way you would see a difference is to switch during a day of fishing.


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The glasses I wear are the ones that turn dark in sunlight and then go light indoors.. I think they are also called transition lenses.. not sure if they are polarized or not.. the other problem I have is that I wear glasses with progressive lenses.. fancy name for bifocals without lines..lol.. so again not sure on the polarizatiosn.. so will check with my eye doctor next time I see him...

what I do know is that a few times in my young pursuit of fly fishing I have come very close to my eyes a few times.. so I am very glad I am wearing some sort of eye protection...

MacFly
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Most likely they are not polarized.

If they are polarized you can take another pair of polarized sunglasses or any other polarized lens. Hold them in front of your sunglasses and rotate one pair in front of the other pair. That is with the lenses of both pair more or less parallel to each other rotate one of the sunglasses while you are looking through both sets of lenses. If they both are polarized you will see the light passing through the combination of lens dim and then at some point no light will pass through them.

Thus you do not need to ask you eye doctor. On your next stop at the fly shop or wally world pick a pair of polarized sunglasses off the rack and do the test with yours.
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