MANY species such as flathead, bream, whiting, trevally and luderick live in and amongst the weed-lined sand flats of almost every lake and estuary along the Australian coastline. They are the ideal species to target as they are accessible by shore, boat, canoe or kayak. These species also make great sportfish for hardcore competition anglers, but best of all they are fantastic table fare for anyone who loves fresh fish.
In this day and age, we have all kinds of new technologies to assist anglers in finding fish. From depth sounders and fish finders, to GPS devices and internet maps and forums, it’s all available if you have the time and money. However, one of the best things you can invest in for finding fish is a decent pair of polarised sunnies.
A quality pair of polarised sunglasses is essential when it comes to daylight fishing. Not just to protect your eyes from the harsh sun, but to make finding fish a hell of a lot easier especially over shallow weed patched flats on a day filled with glare and unwanted reflection. Many times I have drifted over sand flats casting blindly, guessing the depth and hidden structure below the surface. While this method will eventually find fish, but more often than not, going home without a feed is the case.
Sun reflecting on water creates glare and reflection, and this creates visual problems for anglers. Because of the acute angle (or height from the water) in which we fish, anglers are subject to the lack of water visibility, especially casting into the sun. A good pair of polarised sunglasses can make all the difference, opening up a world of angling possibilities and saving you precious fishing time in the process. Oh, they also provide protection for your eyes from damaging UV rays.
Sand flats without Ugly Fish polarised lenses.
Weed patches become immediately visible with the use of quality polarised lenses.
There are hundreds of brands of eyewear to choose from, but unless they have been personally tried and tested, or suggested by other anglers; where do you start? For myself, it’s a combination of factors which make choosing a quality pair of sunnies a lot easier. Price pays a huge part in what we choose, but there’s also comfort, feel and most importantly, functionality.
Ugly Fish Eyewear tick all the boxes when it comes to choosing sunglasses, not just for the hundreds of hours I spent of the water, but for the long drives and everything in between. They are also an Australian company who offer all types of products, from protective safety wear to sports sunnies and quality tinted glass for fishing enthusiasts like myself – all at an affordable price.
My favourites are the Photochromic Monsoons from the Ugly Fish sports range. These photochromic lenses automatically darken and lighten in accordance to light condition making the Ugly Fish monsoon sunglasses fantastic for all light and weather conditions and ideal for fishing and boating!
The result of fishing with quality polarised sunglasses.
Ugly Fish sunglasses can be found in all good fishing tackle and sports stores, or you can see their entire range online: www.uglyfisheyewear.com
Warren Keelan, Ugly Fish Sponsored Angler.
