Polarized sunglasses are a necessity for any angler, as they filter the horizontal light waves that create blinding glare on the water’s surface. This glare reduction is what allows a person to see beneath the surface, spotting fish, submerged structure, and changes in depth. Choosing the right lens color is a matter of matching the lens’s light-filtering properties to the specific conditions of the fishing environment. The optimal color depends entirely on the light level and the need for either maximum light reduction or enhanced contrast.
The Core Colors and Their Function
Lens colors for fishing generally fall into three main categories, each designed to manage light differently. Neutral-toned lenses, such as grey or smoke, reduce the intensity of light equally across the entire color spectrum. This results in the most natural color perception, which is beneficial for long days on the water where color accuracy is preferred over contrast enhancement.
Contrast-enhancing lenses, including brown, amber, and copper, work by filtering out a significant portion of blue light. Blue light tends to scatter easily, which can reduce visual clarity, especially in hazy or overcast conditions. By blocking this light, these warmer tones boost contrast and improve depth perception, making it easier to distinguish objects underwater.
The third category includes high-contrast tones like yellow or rose, which are the lightest of the three. These lenses maximize contrast and brighten the field of view, but they are generally too bright for use in high-sun environments.
Lens Color for Bright Conditions
For environments with intense sunlight and high glare, such as offshore fishing, deep blue water, or large open lakes on a cloudless day, a neutral grey base is the most effective choice. Grey lenses offer the highest level of light reduction, which minimizes eye strain and fatigue over extended periods of exposure to harsh sun. They maintain true color representation, which is important when judging the color of the water or the sky.
To further manage extreme brightness, a grey base is often paired with a blue or green mirror coating. The mirror coating reflects a significant amount of light away from the lens, reducing the Visible Light Transmission (VLT) to a low percentage, often between 8% and 12%. Blue mirror coatings are popular for open ocean or deep water fishing because they reflect the intense blue light common in those environments. Green mirror coatings, typically applied over a grey or copper base, also excel in bright conditions, balancing light reduction with a slight contrast boost.
Lens Color for Low Light and Shallow Water
When fishing in low-light conditions, such as dawn, dusk, or under heavy overcast skies, or when sight fishing in shallow water, the focus shifts from light reduction to contrast enhancement. Amber and copper lenses are highly effective because their blue-light filtering properties maximize the contrast between fish, structure, and the water column. This contrast is what allows an angler to spot subtle movements or changes in the bottom composition.
Copper and amber lenses are versatile, performing well in moderate light while still providing an advantage in lower light. For the lowest light situations, such as heavy fog or fishing under a dense tree canopy, yellow or rose-colored lenses are the best option. These lenses have the highest VLT, sometimes allowing 30% or more of visible light to pass through, which brightens the environment and provides maximum contrast.
Mirror Coatings and Other Factors
Mirror coatings are a thin, reflective layer applied to the outside of a lens, and their primary function is to reflect light away from the eye. This reflection further reduces the Visible Light Transmission (VLT), making the sunglasses more comfortable in extremely bright conditions. The color of the mirror itself, such as silver, gold, or red, is largely cosmetic and does not change the light-filtering properties of the base lens color underneath.
The choice of lens material also influences performance and comfort on the water. Polycarbonate lenses are lightweight and highly impact-resistant, making them a durable choice for active anglers who may drop their glasses. Glass lenses, while heavier and more susceptible to breaking, are often preferred for their superior optical clarity and scratch resistance.