| There is one place on this planet where there is | | | | is no shelter. The sun beats down on you for |
| peace. You won't find it in Palestine. You won't find | | | | hours. And bounces up at you from the water for |
| it in Iraq. You won't find it in Afghanistan. You will | | | | hours. Over the years, too much exposure to UV |
| find it where Anne Murray sang - out on the | | | | rays can cause permanent damage to your eyes. |
| Myrah. Yes, out on the lake, where almost nothing | | | | Maximum protection from UVA, UVB and UVC |
| moves on the calm water and you can hear | | | | light is your goal. |
| every bird and every cricket...where you can get | | | | A few of the dangers include... |
| away from it all. | | | | - Skin cancer around the eyes, where it is hard to |
| After all the planning - the where, the when, the | | | | apply sunscreen |
| how - you'll need to grab your tackle box and | | | | - Pterygiums - small growths on your cornea |
| make sure it is properly equipped. Chances are | | | | - Solar keratitis - sunburn right on the cornea, |
| the contents look something like this: | | | | acute and painful, and perhaps a precursor to |
| - bait or lures | | | | some of the other eye diseases the sun can |
| - fish hooks | | | | create. |
| - snacks | | | | - Macular degeneration - a loss of vision in the |
| - fish hook sharpener | | | | center of the visual field that makes it hard to |
| - split rings | | | | read, recognize faces, drive, etc. |
| - plenty of fishing line | | | | Cataracts - a cloudiness in the crystalline lens of |
| - flashlight | | | | the eye, which reduces the light we see and can |
| - fishing knife | | | | ultimately lead to blindness |
| - first aid kit (just in case) | | | | Why specifically polarized sunglasses? The glare |
| - more snacks | | | | off the water can be blinding, and after a few |
| - small pair of pliers | | | | hours your eyes can get pretty fed up of the |
| - spinners | | | | strain. Polarized sunglasses will block almost 100% |
| - sinkers | | | | of the glare that comes off of water. They, are |
| - swivels | | | | designed with "vertical polarization". Since the light |
| - snaps | | | | bouncing off of the water is in the form of |
| - more snacks | | | | horizontally polarized light, they also allow |
| - bobbers | | | | fishermen to see down into the water helping |
| - fishing line clippers | | | | them to spot fish. So, while they are great for |
| - fish weighing scale | | | | any activity that is surrounded by reflection, from |
| - tape measure | | | | snow-shoeing to canoeing, polarized sunglasses are |
| - more snacks...no, wait...a six pack. | | | | doubly useful for fishermen. |
| But in all that tackle and snack preparation, you | | | | If you are fishing in shallow water, amber colored |
| might have forgotten one very important item, | | | | lenses will help you better see the fish. For |
| and item tool to help you better locateyour fish | | | | instance, the bigmouth bass, which survives by |
| and survive several hoursbeneath an unforgiving | | | | blending into its background, can be easier seen |
| sun in an unsheltered boat. Yes, a hat will come in | | | | through the yellow filter. |
| handy, but that is not what I am talking about. | | | | Polarized lenses will also help you see dead heads |
| Agreed, sunscreen is also important, but that's not | | | | lurking just beneath the surface, so even boaters |
| it, either. I am referring to polarized sun | | | | who are not fishing have a double reason to wear |
| sunglasses. | | | | them - they reduce blinding glare that hurts your |
| Why sunglasses? Why polarized?. Choosing the | | | | eyes, and they reduce blinding glare that keeps |
| right polarized sunglasses is important for both | | | | you from seeing below the surface. |
| your health and enjoyment. | | | | A good pair of polarized sunglasses will make your |
| Sunglasses because the sun's harmful UV rays | | | | fishing trip a much more enjoyable experience |
| are multiplied when out on a fishing excursion as | | | | than if you forget to bring them along. See the |
| the glare from the sun bounces off the water. | | | | fish, not the glare...and see better for years to |
| There are no trees. There are no buildings. There | | | | come. |