Observations and
Notes from the Denver Fly Fishing Retailer Show
Fisherman Eyewear
OPTX 20/20
Eyewear
Fisherman Eyewear's Optx 20/20
I'm finally at an age where I require reading glasses to do most close-up tasks. This includes, of course, tieing knots and reading charts. So far, I've been keeping my reading glasses on a leash around my neck, and only putting them on when I have to. But when that happens, I have to take my polarized sunglasses off. Very inconvenient.
To get around this, many people buy polarized bifocals, or use polarized clip-on lenses over regular bifocals. Fisherman Eyewear sells both of these types of eyewear, but they also sell a line of stick-on magnifier lenses called Optx 20/20 that mount to the bottom edge of your current sunglasses.
The lenses are attached by wetting them, then placing them at the right location on your sunglasses. The surface tension of the water keeps them in place, yet they are easily removed later.
Reviews on the Internet have been mixed - there are a lot of people that like them, but they seem to have diffculty adhering to lenses with more curvature (8 base) or certain types of coatings, and they might be too big for smaller lenses. On the other hand, with an MSRP of $23.99 (around $20 best Internet pricing), they might be worth checking out.
Inside the lab..
Oakley’s Rolling O Lab
Oakley had their “Rolling O” lab at the show. This is a large truck outfitted with some optical and impact testing equipment. It’s designed to show people why you should choose Oakley sunglasses, and it’s a “must see”, even if you’re not in the market for a new pair of sunglasses.
They start the show with a demo of the optical advantages of Oakley sunglasses. Using lasers and projection screens, they run some side-by-side tests with competitors’ products to show how accurate their image alignment is, and how sharp their optics are. You can also have them run the same tests with your sunglasses. It’s a very thought-provoking demo, and will give you some valuable insight as to why your eyes are tired at the end of a long day on the water.
 Naked eye view of the test pattern. Test lasers have been aligned to meet at the dead center of the crosshairs |
 Non-Oakley sunglasses placed over the aligned laser beams. The sunglass lenses cause the beams to split apart, indicating an alignment issue. |
 Oakley sunglasses placed over the same aligned lasers. Not perfect, but pretty darned close! |
Next, the technician runs a couple of projectile impact tests. The ball-bearing-shot-at-100-fps test, and the one-pound-pointed-steel-rod-dropped-from-four-feet test will really give you the willies when you see them done, as you can imagine your own head in place of the mannequin's.
The tests are done to both Oakley's and competitors’ products, and as you might suspect, Oakley comes out on top. That’s not to say that their sunglasses come out unscathed – they don’t – but they do survive the tests, and you can clearly see that they would have protected the wearer’s eyes.
The competitors' products selected for the demos don’t fare nearly as well, shattering after being shot with a ball bearing at 100 fps, or letting the one pound steel rod firmly embed itself in the mannequin’s eye socket.
In this day and age of infomercial hype, you might be tempted to dismiss these impact tests as contrived, but they are, in fact, actual ANSI Z87.1 standard compliance tests. As with the visual acuity tests, they are definitely thought-provoking! The next time that 2/0 Clouser Minnow beans you in the back of the head, think about what would have happened if it had hit you in the eye...
 Drop test - one pound rod, from 4 feet |
 0.25" steel bearing, shot at 100 fps |
Apparel
Tilley Endurables
John Jacobs, National Sales Manager for Tilley Endurables, looked like he needed some company, so as a long-time Tilley hat owner, I had to stop in and visit.
For those of you unfamiliar with Tilley Endurables, they produce the original Aussie-style wide-brimmed hat with the snap-up brim, along with a large variety of other styles of hats, travel apparel and casual wear.
Based in Ontario, Canada, their products are favorites with travelers worldwide, and are prized for their durability, comfort and style. Perhaps because of their Canadian roots, they don’t get as much press in the US as a company like Patagonia or Columbia, but their products are definitely first class.
I was introduced to Tilley hats by a Canadian friend while I was working in the Middle East in the late 1980s. I’ve owned a Tilley T3 for around 16 years, and it is my favorite hat.
My T3 has a dark green under-brim to reduce glare, and a lace that can be used to hold the hat in place when running the boat at high speed. Like all Tilley hats, it floats, and has a small pocket in the crown with a waterproof bag - a perfect place to stash some emergency money and a business card (in case you lose the hat).
The T3’s wide brim shields my eyes, ears, and the back of my neck from the sun, and like all Tilley hats, it’s rated at UPF-50+. Tilley hats are tough as nails, and come with a lifetime guarantee against wear.
They’ve introduced several new hat styles over the years, including some made from lighter-weight materials, different brim and crown styles, plus ladies and kid’s hats. But all of them are made in Canada in the same proud tradition as the originals. If you’re in the market of a new fishing hat (and who isn’t?), give them a careful look. And don't forget about their shorts, pants, shirts and other travel apparel.
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