Spending your leisure time surrounded by nature and connecting with the great outdoors is one of the greatest gifts life has to offer. Not only does it allow us to take a step back from our busy work schedules and re-charge our batteries, it re-connects us with the mothership and reminds us of the beauty of the world around us. Fly-fishing has often been described as a natural stress reliever because fly anglers are unplugged from electronics, but plugged into the natural world. The reduction of stress leads to lower blood pressure and a healthier, more positive outlook.
Fly-fishing sunglasses may not be the first piece of kit you think of when preparing for your next fly-fishing trip, but there are a number of reasons why they should be. There are not only health benefits to wearing specialist fly-fishing sunglasses, but also performance benefits that can lead to better catch rates.
As fly-anglers we are often wading into the middle of a river or brook to find the perfect casting position from which to pursue our quarry. Surrounded by water in all directions, the direct and scattered UV radiation is ubiquitous as it reflects off the water surface. To protect our eyes from the cumulative effects of this damaging radiation, it is highly recommended to wear 8-base or ‘wrap-fit’ water sport sunglasses. Not only will this stop the UV rays leaking into our eyes from the sides, top and bottom of the frame, it will also stop visible light from reflecting off the inner lens surface and distracting our vision.
An exhilarating form of fly-fishing is fishing by sight – spotting a Trout in the shallows and then stalking it with a well-targeted fly is challenging and highly rewarding. Polarized fly-fishing sunglasses come into their own here as polarized lenses enable the angler to see through the water surface to see what lies beneath. Polarized sunglasses for fly-fishing also offer the added benefit of cutting out reflected glare which can be blinding especially in the first and last hours of the day.
With LiP Watershades you can get kitted out with the best sunglasses for fly-fishing – with polarized, photochromic or even polarized + photochromic lenses, a myriad of mirror finishes to suit your style and lightweight frames that are shaped to optimise your casting and catching performance.
5 point checklist for fly-fishing sunglasses
We at LiP Sunglasses love our slice of freedom when we head out for a weekend with the fly rods, and we always take a quiver of sunglasses with us so that we are well equipped for any location or weather conditions.
The perfect fly-fishing polarized sunglasses depend on cloud cover, light levels, time of year, time of day, the type of fish we are stalking and even our mood.
The lenses are always at the heart of our sunglasses, and here we make no compromises. We work with leading optical supplier ZEISS to offer a wide range of lens tints, performance coatings and mirror coatings to suit any fly-fishing environment. All of our watershades include a hydrophobic and oleophobic coating on both inner and outer lens surfaces to ensure crystal clear vision without water spotting at all times of day.
We offer three watershades that are uniquely suited for fly-fishing (1) FLO, (2) TYPHOON and (3) SURGE
The Flo model is lightweight, strapless, and indestructible. Owing to its Incorporated FLOT8™ frame technology, it is also unsinkable. It is ideal for lakes and streams with a gentle current and comes in a range of frame colours and lens options.
Our Typhoon and Surge models are designed for more technical fly-fishing in waters with a stronger current that could quickly put a distance between you and floating sunglasses. Both come with a failsafe retention system that works 100% of the time, so you don’t need to worry about losing your favourite fly-fishing sunglasses if they get knocked off your head by a branch or your buddy’s poor casting technique.
With all the state-of-the-art technology incorporated into our watershades, we’re confident they’ll last you for a long time and will lift your angling experience. And to make sure they do, we offer a market-leading 3-year warranty.
Our polarized fly-fishing sunglasses are the way forward for fishing comfortably. Not only are your eyes shielded from the harmful effects of UV rays and the uncomfortable effects of reflected glare, but you also get a sneak peek under the water to find a great spot to cast your line
To help you choose the best model for your needs, we’ve created a basic comparison guide showing the core features of the Flo, Typhoon, and Surge models.
To help you decide on the most suitable angling sunglasses lenses for your frame, check out our choosing your lenses guide for a detailed look at all the options for our watershades lenses. We have also put together a summary of all of the essential considerations to make the wisest choice, including a lens tint guide, a guide on lens materials and their qualities and a guide on the visible light transmission rates for all of our lenses.
And the best news is that our watershades are not only suited for fly-fishing, they are also suited to a range of other activities where water is involved – jet skiing sunglasses, SUP sunglasses, sailing sunglasses and more.
LiP Sunglasses was founded in 2012 to fill a void in the market for functional and stylish eyewear for watersports and waterborne hobbies. Since establishing our watershades in the market, we have expanded our expertise into specialist areas like our fly fishing sunglasses (polarized). Through a combination of choosing high quality frame materials, advanced frame production techniques and lens characteristics that are optimised for fly fishing, it is now possible to enhance the joy you derive from your favourite past-time by wearing fit-for-purpose sunglasses that deliver on all levels.
Developing fly fishing sunglasses that’s polarized requires experience and first-hand knowledge of the challenges fly-fishermen regularly face. Some on our design team are also passionate anglers, so we know what needs to be done to design and produce lasting solutions for our fly fishing clientele. Over the years, we’ve grown into one of the most trusted brands in the industry, precisely because we rigorously test our products in the environments in which they are designed to be used.
In the near future, we plan to roll out a number of additional lens options which are further optimised for fly-fishing, especially for the FLO model.
| Model / Functions | Typhoon | Surge | Flo |
|---|---|---|---|
| UVA/B Protection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Polarised Lenses? | Yes | Yes | Some |
| Hydrophobic Coating? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Oleophobic Coating? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hard Coating? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Retention Leash? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Floating Frame? | No | No | Yes |
| Anti-fog Venting? | Yes | Yes | No |
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