The Best Polarised Sunglasses for Fly Fishing

Early in your fly fishing journey, you'll realise that seeing well is vital for locating fish, tracking your fly, and navigating rough wading terrain. So it's no surprise that polarised sunglasses are a hot topic in fly fishing.

The first key component of high-quality polarised sunglasses is clarity. There are two main lens materials: glass and polycarbonate (or Trivex). Of the two, glass offers substantially better clarity and superior scratch resistance, meaning it lasts a lot longer.

Naturally, glass lenses are more expensive to produce, making them pricier. But we believe good sunglasses are like a quality fly line or tippet—they’re tools you rely on every time you fish, so they’re worth the investment. That said, there are solid entry-level options in polycarbonate lenses, which we'll get into.

The next key component is polarisation. No matter how much (or how little) you spend, polarisation is fairly consistent across brands. It’s a special layer in the lens that dramatically reduces glare from the water. Non-polarised sunglasses are useless for fishing—even the cheapest service station polarized glasses will be better than standard sunglasses.

Then there's lens base colour and tint, which is what really determines what you buy. When looking through fishing sunglasses, you'll typically notice one of three base hues: grey, brown, or yellow. Apart from deep blue water marlin fishing, grey lenses are useless—leave your Ray-Bans at home. They’re designed to make you look good, not see well. For fly fishing and sight fishing, brown or yellow base lenses are the best choices.

Everyone’s eyes are different, and that plays a role in whether a yellow or brown base works best for you.

• If you walk into a bright room and instinctively dim the lights, a brown base will likely suit you better.
• If you’re always turning up the dimmer to make a room brighter, you’re probably better off with a yellow base.

Ideally, you’d have both: a brown base for bright, sunny, glary conditions and a yellow base for low light and cloudy days.

If you want one pair for everything, consider photochromic (or polarchromic) lenses. These adapt to light conditions—darkening in bright sun and lightening in low light.

Another key factor is light transmission, which refers to how much visible light passes through the lens. The higher the percentage, the more light comes through.

We stock the largest range of fly fishing-specific polarised eyewear in Australia—maybe even the world! We do this to offer different light transmissions in both brown and yellow base lenses, ensuring you get the most ideal sunglasses for your eyes and the fishing you do. It's also important to get a frame that fits your face well and stays on securely.

LIGHT TRANSMISSION LEVELS SMITH Vs COSTA

33% Smith Low Light Polarised Yellow Chromapop Glass (Yellow base hue)

25% Costa Sunrise Silver Mirror 580 Glass (Yellow base hue)

11-23% Smith Yellow Blue Mirror Polarchromic Chromapop Glass (Yellow base hue)

11-20% Smith Brown Green Mirror Polarchromic Chromapop Glass (Brown base hue)

12% Costa Copper Silver Mirror 580 Glass (Brown base hue)

12% Smith Polarised Brown Chromapop Glass (Brown base hue)

Lens Technology Smith ChromaPop Vs Costa 580

ChromaPop and 580 are essentially a filter in the lens. Both Smith ChromaPop and Costa 580 lenses help you see more clearly by enhancing colors, contrast, and reducing glare—making it easier to spot fish and underwater structures.

ChromaPop and 580

✅ Boost Colour Separation – They filter out certain wavelengths so colors look more vivid and distinct.
✅ Increase Contrast – Help differentiate between fish, structure, and the water background.
✅ Sharpen Details – Make objects stand out more, even in bright or low-light conditions.

TESTED AND FLYFISHER APPROVED

Best Low Light Lens

Smith Optics Low Light Yellow Polarised Chromapop Glass

The Smith Low Light Yellow lens is a game-changer for early mornings, late afternoons, overcast days, and shaded rivers. With high light transmission, a yellow base for enhanced contrast, and ChromaPop technology to sharpen details, it makes spotting fish in dim conditions effortless. There are times when wearing this lens feels like someone just turned the lights on—suddenly, everything is clearer, and the water is more readable. For low-light fly fishing, this lens keeps your vision crisp, clear, and glare-free when it matters most.

Best Lens - All Rounder

Tie between Smith Brown Green Mirror Polarchromic Chromapop Glass and Smith Yellow Blue Mirror Polarchromic Chromapop Glass

The Smith Brown Green Mirror Polarchromic ChromaPop Glass and Smith Yellow Blue Mirror Polarchromic ChromaPop Glass are nearly identical in performance, both featuring polarchromic glass lenses that adapt seamlessly to changing light conditions—from low light to bright sun. With ChromaPop technology enhancing contrast and glass construction providing superior clarity and scratch resistance, they offer exceptional all-round performance. The only real difference is personal preference—some fly fishers prefer the brown base of the Green Mirror for a natural, contrast-rich view, while others favor the yellow base of the Blue Mirror for a brighter, more light-enhancing experience. Either way, both lenses deliver unmatched versatility, durability, and visual performance across all fishing environments.

Best Lens for Bright Sun

Costa Copper Silver Mirror 580 Glass

The Costa Copper Silver Mirror 580G is the best lens for bright sun because it combines a brown base hue with a silver mirror coating, delivering exceptional contrast, reduced glare, and enhanced depth perception. The 580G glass lens provides superior clarity and scratch resistance, while the brown base naturally boosts contrast, making it easier to spot fish in bright, glary conditions. The silver mirror further cuts harsh light, reducing eye strain and making it perfect for open water, sand flats, and high-sun environments. If you're fishing in intense sunlight, this lens gives you the sharpest vision, the least glare, and the best eye protection on the water.

ENTRY LEVEL OPTIONS

In the last couple of years, some really good polycarb options have hit the market from leading fly brands. What they've got right is the lens colour being better optimised for flyfishing - providing excellent contrast and making things pop.

Best Entry Level All Rounder - Vision Jasper Polarised Sunglasses

The Vision Jasper PhotoCarbon Brown Polarized Sunglasses provide the perfect mix of adaptability, clarity, durability, and comfort. With a brown base, these sunglasses enhance contrast and depth perception, making them ideal for bright, glary conditions while still offering great visibility in low-light environments. Whether you're fishing a dark, overgrown river at dawn or sight-casting on sunlit sandbars, these sunglasses adjust to the conditions, helping you see more and fish better.

PRESCRIPTION EYEWEAR

Our first question would be: Does your prescription require adjustment for seeing at distance, or just for close-up tasks like threading a fly or tying knots? If your eyes are fine for distance vision, that's great news! You can simply buy a pair of the polarized sunglasses we've detailed above, and add a set of flip-down magnifiers or Slastik readers. This setup will allow you to see in any fly fishing scenario.

However, if your prescription is for distance vision, your options are unfortunately more limited. You will need to have your lenses ground locally to match your prescription. In the best-case scenario, if your prescription is light, it can be done in glass lenses. We use and recommend Spotters for prescription eyewear and can assist with that. In glass, expect to pay around $1000. Health insurance providers often offer a rebate on prescription eyewear purchases.

Spotters offers a Penetrator lens, which is one of the best photochromic (light-adjusting) lenses on the market. Why haven’t we mentioned them earlier? They’re built with a thicker glass and don’t feature 580 or ChromaPop, so they don’t quite make the cut as the best lenses available today.