Best Color Lenses For Fly Fishing – Clarity and Perception

Without a doubt, fishing sunglasses are a necessity for every fisherman. It doesn’t matter if you have eagle-sharp eyesight or squint and strain like some of us.

We have highlighted more in the guide but lens color is a MUST consideration.
The lens color should be right for your fly fishing environment. We all love to enjoy the sun while fly fishing. However, the scorching rays can be very dangerous if you don’t have the right protection.

Yes, an SPF 50 or 60+ is such a defender. An overhead hat or cap will also help. But for your eyes where none of these can be of much help, sunglasses come in handy.
There is no precise answer to what color lens is the best for polarized fishing sunglasses as different colors suit different situations. We will try to guide you to make a better choice for your particular needs.

Considerations for fishing sunglasses lens color

Fancy sunglasses have several aspects to base on before buying. Things like labels, prints, and design of the frames. In our fishing world, things are the contrary. While we all want to look sharp and be noticed, we need something fully functional for an escalated day. Aspects when choosing the lens color are;

The fishing environment that you are in
What time will you be fishing – dawn, mid-morning, afternoon, dusk, or midnight?
The weather conditions
What is the depth of the water you are in?

Does it sound stressful to select a suitable lens color? It shouldn’t as we will make it simpler in a few minutes. Remember that these aren’t multipurpose lens colors. Each color is for its specific use.

Lens Colors For Fishing Available For You To Choose From

Below are the lens colors that have been successful to anglers depending on where they fish and the time they do it. Initially, before advancements in the manufacture of these polarized sunglasses with colored lenses, there were only blue lenses then came yellow and the rest. As you can deduce, the sector is growing with many helpful innovations year in year out. Who knows, there might be additional colors to what we have below.

Green Mirror

Before we begin on the green mirror lens? Do you feel like you need a mirrored lens? As you can see below, most lens colors are individual without any mirrored effect. This doesn’t mean that they are inefficient. It is only a difference in lens color and construction.

What is a mirrored lens color? These have a reflective optical coating that is on the outer side of the lens. When you look at the sunglasses from outside, the lenses appear as though they are mirrors.

The mirrored lenses help to reduce the glare from the reflecting sun rays getting to your eyes. This is double protection as it also helps to reduce eye strain and makes visibility better.

The coat and color of the mirror will change the initial colors of objects and their visibility. It will be your task to choose whether to go for a prominent color or amplified reflection.

Back to our green mirror lens colors. A good number of manufacturers are considering green as one of the best colors to create mirrored coatings. If you are a die-hard of flats or weed bed fishing, the green mirror will be very effective for you.

It gives very high contrast that will enable an angler to see on flats and inshore well.

If you are going out for sight fishing, green mirror lenses improve the appearance structure in dirty water. Spotting a fish becomes very easy. A brand like Costa is famous for its green mirrored lenses as they include a copper lens at the back of the mirror.

We love how exquisite the color combination is as while green brightens your field of vision, copper will maintain the real color.

Best for;
Inshore/flats fishing
Medium to Brighter days.

Blue Mirror

A few lenses are manufactured with a lens that is fully blue. However, the majority are made from a blue-tint mirror. If you have sampled all the lens colors here, you will discover that the blue lens sunglasses are very different from the others.

You will need the best blue mirror sunglasses to fish when it is hot and clear especially in the summer. It helps to greatly reduce the brightness of the sun’s rays.

If you love to drift fish or try the boats in the open water, you will notice that there is usually more glare than usual.

Anglers who fish in deeper waters will need these blue mirror lenses as the sun’s reflection is most intense.

Some manufacturers like Oakley are incorporating other colors on the base lens and add the blue-tint on the top. For instance, Deep Water PRIZMA from Oakley features a base lens that is rose and the top with a blue mirror.

We can conclude that most companies have their signature lens colors that they use before using the blur mirrors. Others like Costa and Smith are known for their gray bases and blue mirror coatings to finish the lens.

Best for:
Offshore deep sea fishing
Very bright days

Gray

Some of the high contrast lens colors are gray. We advise anglers to use this color of lens in areas with medium to brighter light times. What we love about them is that they are excellent at blocking glare and reflection of the sun when on calm waters.

Also, they greatly reduce eye fatigue which you will experience when fishing in such conditions with bare eyes.

They almost work similarly to the amber lenses but there is an aspect that differentiates the two. The gray lenses are high contrast though they will not be great for use while combing the flats or in shallow waters.

You will appreciate their effectiveness in deep water and offshore waters either on overcast or brighter days. Its primary advantages are the reduction of glare and the improvement of color perceptions.

Best for:
Deep water
Medium to bright days

Amber

When there is medium to low light when darkness engulfs the waters, amber lenses come in to save an almost giving up angler. Also, when it is foggy, rainy, or cloudy, this color too works extremely well.

These conditions are uncomfortable to fish in with other lenses and naked eyes because you can barely see.

We aren’t limiting these lenses for use in adverse conditions only. You will have a heightened experience when fishing with them in shallow waters.

Also, if you’d like to try your skills in the flats and sight fishing, the amber lenses create higher contrast to make visibility effective.

Note: there is a difference in how these lenses work especially now that they are almost similar to copper lenses. Amber lenses make your field of vision brighter and make contrast higher.

It is among the most comfortable lenses for the eyes as it does away with blue light which is harmful to the eyes.

Blue light can obscure brown colors and interfere with perception. This color pops the greens and this will be efficient when you are looking out for submerged weed beds.

Best for;
Medium to low light even foggy days
Shallow water

Copper

We can’t agree more about the popularity of the copper lens colors. The majority of anglers are now on these lenses. What they like about them is their versatility for use in everyday weather.

Also, most fishing sunglass manufacturers have it in their collections. Mostly, you will realize their effectiveness at dawn and dusk because of how pure they keep the color and reduce eyestrain.

Copper lenses will be very useful when fishing in shallow waters when sight fishing or fishing inshore.

The glare at these times can make you tear or itch badly but with copper lenses, it is only a pain when you break a rod or have nothing to show off after a day out.

Best for:
Low light
Flats or inshore fishing

Yellow/Sunrise and Orange

Yellow lenses and its shades are the best choices for fishing in the evening or morning. You will experience difficulty fishing at these times with naked eyes or other lens colors that is why the yellow option is advisable.

At this time the blue light in the sky and the water is intense and often irritates your eyes.

The yellow lenses help brighten the surrounding areas and lead to a higher contrast. If you are fishing in the shallow waters, beds, and flats at these times, you should pack this lens color.

These lenses make all points sharper and the depth perception greatly improves as you fish.

When it comes to weather conditions, the yellow lenses maximize the light transmission making it the best for use in overcast times, cloudy days, and everyday weather.

Best for;
Low light conditions
Shallow and inshore fishing

Silver Mirror

Silver mirror lenses mostly come with a copper base. From the copper lens color description, the lens cuts glare from the sun rays and ensures that you are comfortable by preventing eye strain.

You can use it in varied situations like driving and sight fishing. When the copper base is combined with a silver mirror, the lenses become suitable for fishing in the streams and especially in areas with varied lights.

Rose and Vermilion

Vermilion and rose lens colors are mostly for lightening an angler’s vision. Besides, they help to reduce glare and prevent eye strain.

These colors don’t work on their own as manufacturers use them as the base lens colors then use mirrored coatings on the top.

This means that they can’t be used individually for sun protection. Lenses with such colors are excellent for use in shady days and when it is cloudy.

Conclusion on the Best color lenses for fishing

Anglers who enjoy deep saltwater fishing should wear lens that are Blue or Gray with the addition of a mirror coating for extra protection from the UV glare. Something in this range will give greater definition and as usual, prevent eyestrain.

For low light fishing, Yellow or Copper is a great choice as they allow for extra light transition.

Also, these lenses will be ideal for fishing in the evenings and mornings as visibility underwater is greatly enhanced. A good number of anglers enjoy fishing before sunset and dawn.

Why would they do it at such times? Fish are most active before dawn and before sunset.

Green and Amber lens are excellent for inshore fishing especially weed beds The clarity is improved and you can see fish, rocks, and beds under the water so that you can see where to fish your fly.

Sight fishing in rivers for trout is even better with Copper or Yellow lens allowing you to see the trout swimming near structure or level drops.

Even as lens color is a vital aspect to consider when choosing polarized sunglasses, you have to consider all the other features like lens coatings frames, lens material, and the rest to ensure that you get the best out of your pair.

There are no pair of sunglasses that cover all aspects of fishing. You will have to consider compromises if you plan to fish all situations however we feel an Amber or Gray Mirrored pair will cover a lot of them adequately enough to enjoy the sport.

The vital aspects here are more comfort, greater visibility, and lens efficiency.