'Chief' of Fishing

Have you ever hit that perfect tee shot on your favorite par five, or thrown a perfect bullseye in a round of darts?  The feeling of sheer perfection and happiness sets in almost immediately, and there is no denying the smile on your face.  Every once in awhile, each of us finds or does something that seems to engrave a smile on our face, and recently, Smith Optics' "Chief" Sunglasses have been that something for me.

Over the past year or so, I was fortunate enough to meet some truly incredible people, most of them being met either on the water, or through facebook.  One thing that seemed to be recurring amongst these guys was a trusty pair of high end sun glasses either wrapped over their eyes, or dangling from their necks.  I never really thought much of it, and continued using the $5 pair of glasses that i bought off of a guy at the CTU Camp earlier this year.  Well, after enough 'bragging' from my fishing friends, I finally decided to save up some money from the summer's lawn mowing, and get myself a pair of Smith Optics. 

So, when the time came, I placed an order for a pair of chief's with a Polarchromic Copper Mirror Tint and Techlite Glass Lenses.  I waited for a couple of days, and before I knew it the UPS man was at my door handing me a package with the Smith logo stamped to the front.  Delicately slicing the tape on the package, I drooled in awe as I removed the enhanced optics from their protective case.  Skeptical as to how they would perform, I couldn't wait to try them out on a particular section of river that I am so fond of.

Upon arriving at the water's edge, the water was clear; too clear.  There was a hint of superstition in the frosty morning air as we began to search for fish, but we trudged forward with high hopes.  As I approached my favorite run, I stood patiently, scanning the bottom for feeding resides.  The run usually yields fish, but almost always I am dredging the deepest part with an indicator and a few nymphs.  Suddenly, the flicker of a tail appeared, and a good brown was spotted gorging himself at the bottom of the run.  After a few casts, the fish was landed and released happily.  Put simply, these glasses rock.

Frame
The chief frame won the award for best new eyewear at the Fly Tackle Dealer Show a few months ago, and after using the frame, I can see why.  With a medium fit and large coverage, the frames prevent side glare, glare from above, and beneath your eyes. It fits perfectly, and provides the upmost comfort.

Lenses

The lenses on these glasses are what truly set it apart from the rest.  The techlite glass lenses provide the clearest view in the game, and make seeing fish so much easier.  I couldn't believe the difference between glass and polycarbonate lenses - the view is so much clearer with glass!  So, if you plan on getting a pair of these glasses, go with the glass lenses; it's worth it.

Tint
Seeing as Landon Mayer is basically my idol, I gave him a call to see what he thought I should get as far as tints are concerned.  He said that copper is the best all around tint, and that the polarchromic feature is an excellent bonus.  Well, after using the polarchromic copper mirror lenses, I can honestly say that they are superior to anything that I have ever used.  The mirrored tint is able to handle extremely bright days, as well as overcast days.

Things I would change
The one thing I don't like about the glasses is that they fit so well that they tend to fog up, but Smith makes an anti-fog spray, so the problem is solved.  Other than that, I have no complaints!

Conclusion
If you are serious about sight fishing (or fly fishing in general for that matter), investing in a pair of quality sunglasses will change the way you see things forever.  They are definitely worth the investment, and they will make every outing that much easier.  Smith Optics' Chief sunglasses are perfect for any angler, and perform flawlessly.