Old fishermen w// bad eyes, do you prefer polarized readers or a separate pair of readers?

D

downriver79

Steelhead
It's official, I need readers to fish. I went out to fish the evening hatch one evening last week. I was able to tie on a #16 hackle stacker w/ 5x before I left the house and had good sunlight. After a little bit of fishing w/ not much action, I bit off my fly and was going to switch to a humpy. Light was a little more dim than when I left the house and for the life of me I couldn't thread 5x tippet through a #16 fly. I started noticing this a little bit last summer, but was always able to get it through eventually. No dice this time. I ended up just tying on a #12 wet fly and fishing until the bats ran me off the water.
So, for those of you who need readers for up close, do you prefer sunglasses w/ bifocals, or carrying a separate pair of readers and putting them on only when necessary? Seems like the polarized bifocals would take some getting used to. Any insight or opinions are appreciated.
 
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I have and wear both progressive and bifocal glasses. Have no problem wading with either one. I have also used the flip down magnifiers in the past but have to admit they did cause my eyes to get confused trying to figure out what/where to look thru the lenses in order to see the 6x tippet and the eye on a size 20 or 22 fly. If I could no longer thread the fly on it was time to pack it in and head to camp for a whiskey!

In general I like and wear the bifocals if I want to see a ways out in front of me and know that I have good magnification for the up close work. Since I wear the progressives most of the time it does take my eyes a bit to readjust to the bifocals.

I did discover that progressive lenses could be set up with a larger “sweet” spot for far vision (think looking at the ground in front of you. My first ones had the middle magnification to much in the center of the eye which really made for blurry vision when looking down at the ground. The new ones don’t have that problem.

I also use a Ty-rite tool to hold my flies which really makes it easier for me to adjust the angle of the fly to get the best focus on the eye of the fly. This tool has been a game changer.

Good luck
 
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I use a pair of polarized bi-focal glasses for about 90% of my fishing. When it gets too dark, or I when am tying a real small fly I use a pair of cheaters @ 1.5x that I carry in my shirt pocket. This system works for me, but don't know if anyone else will have the same results.
 
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When I was working on a charter boat I would often have to tie a hook on for a passenger. I like to have 1.25 readers for this, and it was cumbersome to switch back and forth from my sunglasses. So I bought some polarized sunglasses with a bifocal reading lens. I hated them. The small amount of time tying on hooks, (where they were helpful), did not warrant me wearing those damn things all day. I prefer the strap thingys.... (Croakies) on my sunglasses (so I can temporarily hang them from my neck) combined with readily accessible readers. Just my two cents.
 
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The reason I went to flip downs is because I used to do a lot of winter steelhead fishing. Digging through multiple layers of clothing in the rain to find some readers just didn't do it for me. Having them clipped to the bill of my hat was so much more handy. And as I said above most of the time they ride around on top of the bill. Most steelhead sized flies are not a problem for me so I don't use them much when steelhead or salmon fishing. I do use them for small trout flies.

I have been wearing bifocals for years and years. I don't find myself being any more clumsier than I used to be. When I first went to bifocals I just went with the Dr. recommendation. Big mistake! The focal area was to close. I had to bend over to put the key in a door. After a week of that I went back and told the guy I needed to see at the end of my arms, not just for doors but that is where I operate tools and just about everything else. Much better.

I have no vision trouble wading. My prescriptions are mild enough that I can see the bottom fine through either lens plus I use a wading staff when ever I can.
 
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I have been wearing bifocals for over 50 years and didn't realize until reading this thread that people could have problems with them. I have never encountered dizziness, clumsiness or stumbling with them and have waded with them for decades. I don't like the progressives and can see where that fuzzy zone in the transition could cause some problems, I want either/or vision so my eyes can make an instant adjustment. Since my cataract surgery a couple of years ago I don't even need glasses but wear them when fishing for obvious safety reasons.

For sunglasses I wear Fitovers or Cocoons on a Croakie and have them in several different colors and shades for different weather or times of the day. I tried the Polaroid bifocals twice and both times the lens was not as good as the normal lens and they just felt "off" somehow. Somehow I can see better at 87 than I could see at 67, I'll take it!
 
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My Fave is clip on " Hat Eyes " Magnifiers ( solid American made construction ) but it seems they are no longer in business, Anyone know for sure on that? Been using them for 20 plus years and they flat out work and work very well.

This year, because of the above mentioned issue, Ive been using " Magni-Fly " clip on Magnifiers. Also a well made American product with the added bonus of a few attached magnets, used for storing flies. They take some getting used to but they also work well, once dialed in.

Both above models play well with Sunglasses. No need to take them off.

Be safe.

Bob
 
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Draketake said:
My Fave is clip on " Hat Eyes " Magnifiers ( solid American made construction ) but it seems they are no longer in business, Anyone know for sure on that? Been using them for 20 plus years and they flat out work and work very well.

This year, because of the above mentioned issue, Ive been using " Magni-Fly " clip on Magnifiers. Also a well made American product with the added bonus of a few attached magnets, used for storing flies. They take some getting used to but they also work well, once dialed in.

Both abover models play well with Sunglasses. No need to take them off.

Be safe.

Bob
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Same here...though I place mine on a PFD shoulder strap so I can use it at chest level (folds flat when not in use). The two magnets are very useful because one can hold the fly that's being clipped off and the other holding the fly to be tied on. The lens is glass so much less likely to get scratched than plastic.

I've worn progressive bifocals for decades, and also have quite a few prescription wrap-around safety glasses with light-sensitive lenses. Never had a problem with progressive bifocals. And polycarbonate lens inherently block eye damaging UV light.

Available on Amazon

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My everyday, everywhere glasses are bifocals. I soon learned to look below the bottom of the bifocal lens when descending stairs, hillsides, and wading streams. I got new prescription Maui Jim sunglasses almost two years ago. The style I like is not available as bifocals, but strangely are available as progressive bifocals, which I don't care for. So I got the sunglasses with just my regular prescription, which is great for wading while fishing. And I just use a flip down magnifier as other posters mentioned for tying leader sections and tippets to flies.
 
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I wear progressives on the daily, and my sunglasses are progressive as well. I have no problem walking/wading, but sometimes the fly is just too small, the light is too poor, or my hands are too cold. So, what I do, is I have a fly box that has a leaf in the middle for holding pre-tied flies and tippet. Much easier to tie on a sz 18 bwo at home, and then just a surgeons from the pretied fly to the tippet on my leader. Very handy for pre-tying usual 2-3 fly chironomid rigs, too.
 
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Another option are flexible, stick on reader lenses that you can apply to any sunglasses. You can even trim them to fit if needed. I tried them a few years ago. Seemed to work OK but they eventually fell off, so there's that.

I'll have to figure something out if I ever get back into trout. Not so much an issue tying 2/0 tuna flies on 30# fluorocarbon.
 
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Robert Engleheart said:
Wearing bi or progressive lenses on the water is a good way to go for a swim or take a nasty fall on cobblestones. Ask me how I know…
I’m in agreement with both replies above, just carry a separate pair of readers.
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I only skimmed the thread to here. Simple stuff, if readering up isn't a fit for your level of patience, you're in the wrong sport.
 
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iveofione said:
I have been wearing bifocals for over 50 years and didn't realize until reading this thread that people could have problems with them. I have never encountered dizziness, clumsiness or stumbling with them and have waded with them for decades.
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^^^^
I have the same thoughts about progressives, for about 30 years.
 
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I like the term that Tim used.... "readering up". This is a new term for me, but I have always strived for the most efficient and convenient way to "reader up". Every situation is different, but if deploying my readers is cumbersome, I adapt and overcome.
 
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Fourbtgait said:
Agree. For me, progressive have seemed so natural to wear in all instances.
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My optometrist's brother is a fly angler so he understands the close vision needed for fishing. He does my exam and writes the prescription for progressive lenses so I can read the J1 text on the Jaeger near vision chart at about 6.5 inches. With almost imperceptible head movements I can use a single pair of glasses for threading flies onto tippet, normal reading, computer use, and distance.
 
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