Do you target bass in a mud-stained lake? Want to see that billfish following your bait? You need some serious performance eyewear. Executive Editor Chris Woodward talks with Melinda Hays, bass community leader for Bajio sunglasses, and Emily Gale, half of the Gale Force Twins and a Fin-Nor sunglasses pro angler, about what they use and why.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Welcome to the Women in Fishing podcast.
00:12 I'm Chris Woodward.
00:13 The Women in Fishing podcast is sponsored
00:15 by Axon Noble Yacht Coatings,
00:17 makers of Interluxe and All Grip products for boats.
00:20 So if I were to ask, what's the best type of sunglass
00:24 to wear for inshore fishing?
00:26 I'm wondering how many listeners might know the best answer.
00:29 Technically, it kind of depends on where and how you fish,
00:34 but sunglass companies have demystified
00:36 the technology of eyewear as they roll out
00:38 ever multiplying options for all kinds
00:41 of conditions and locations.
00:43 Eye protection is also a key component
00:45 and that's the main reason you really need to know
00:48 and wear your sunglasses.
00:50 With me today to talk all things eyewear is Melinda Hayes,
00:54 who joins us from Hot Springs, Arkansas.
00:57 Melinda is the Bass Community Leader for Bejio Sunglasses.
01:01 She's a tournament angler,
01:03 the top placing female in the Bass Fishing League
01:05 All-American and the only female angler
01:08 to ever win a BFL Regional.
01:10 We also have Emily Gale, half of the Saltwater Fishing Duo,
01:14 the Gale Force Twins out of the Florida Keys.
01:17 Emily is a pro angler for Finor Sunglasses.
01:20 She and her sister Amanda work their way up
01:22 from mating on fishing charter boats to guiding as captains.
01:26 Since then, they've transitioned to educating
01:28 and entertaining online video viewers
01:31 with their fishing adventures
01:32 as they grow their Gale Force Twins brand.
01:35 Welcome to the podcast, Melinda and Emily.
01:38 - Hi, thanks for having us.
01:40 - So great to have you both.
01:42 And I'm really excited that we have one guest
01:45 who really hails from the freshwater side
01:47 of the fishing equation with Melinda.
01:50 And then we have Emily who is obviously
01:53 very focused on saltwater.
01:54 So we're really gonna cover all of the ins and outs here
01:58 when we talk about sunglasses.
02:00 So first, let me say that we'll be talking
02:02 about polarized sunglasses.
02:05 Polarized glasses feature a special coating
02:07 that blocks glare.
02:09 Another vitally important characteristic
02:12 that sunglasses provide us is protection for our eyes
02:15 from the sun's damaging rays and from impact caused
02:19 by flying lures or sinkers or any other projectile
02:22 you might encounter when you're fishing.
02:25 So Melinda, tell me what kind of sun
02:27 and impact protection bahia sunglasses offer to anglers.
02:32 - I'm extremely concerned with that,
02:35 with the whole protection from the sun
02:37 because my grandma and great grandma both went blind
02:39 whenever I was a young child.
02:41 So it made me extremely passionate about my eyes and eye care
02:46 and something that I learned early was that a lot
02:49 of sunglasses trick your eyes into thinking
02:52 that they're protected.
02:53 So it opens them up and it allows all those bad rays
02:57 to hit the back of your eye.
02:59 And so bahia actually blocks those harmful rays
03:03 and takes it a step further and blocks more blue light
03:07 than any other brand on the market.
03:09 And why that second portion is so important is now
03:12 in the freshwater world, we use our screens just as much
03:16 as we do sitting at a laptop.
03:18 So you're getting that additional blue light
03:20 and also the biggest maker of blue light is the sun.
03:23 And so we take it that step farther.
03:25 So you get that more crispness
03:28 and also you don't get the eye fatigue that comes
03:31 with wearing your lenses for a long day.
03:33 The other portion of that is eye protection.
03:37 You only have two eyes and one weight, one hook,
03:42 one piece of debris running down the lake
03:45 at 70 miles an hour can completely change your life forever.
03:49 I actually have a friend, a good friend of mine
03:52 who lost her eye to a weight.
03:54 It was a 3/16 ounce weight.
03:56 She was hung up, pulled it back, hit her right in the eye
03:59 and she was completely blind in that eye.
04:01 And so wearing your glasses,
04:03 whether you choose the glass option that we offer
04:06 or the poly is so important.
04:08 Our glass option does not have as much impact protection
04:12 as our poly does.
04:13 I would always say, if you're using something
04:15 that you're gonna get hung a lot to use your poly option.
04:19 Like if you're fishing shallow,
04:20 you're fishing pretty close to you
04:23 and you're gonna have, you know,
04:24 those weights when they come back come at, you know,
04:27 over a hundred miles an hour sometimes.
04:29 And so whenever it hits your lenses,
04:31 you wanna have the most protection.
04:32 So I would say use our poly lenses.
04:34 But even if you're using glass and something happens,
04:37 our coating on it actually is like a windshield
04:41 if you wanna think about it that way.
04:43 It will fracture, but it'd be encased.
04:46 So you're not gonna have all kinds of little chips go back.
04:50 So, but those one moment can change everything.
04:53 So I would say definitely always use eye protection.
04:58 And I think that he does a fantastic job
05:01 of taking everything into consideration
05:03 for not just impact to every ray that we need blocked out.
05:08 - Emily, can you tell us about Fennors
05:10 and their technology?
05:11 - Definitely, I think that as a whole,
05:15 people forget that your eye is a muscle.
05:18 So if you go for a run, your legs might get tired.
05:21 If you're gonna lift weights, your arms might get tired.
05:23 And if you're out there on the water,
05:25 staring at whether it's you're in shore fishing
05:29 and you're looking for structure
05:30 or snuck under a mangrove island or you're offshore,
05:33 which is what I mostly do.
05:34 And you're looking for birds working,
05:35 your eyes will literally get tired.
05:37 And that's where a proper lens is really important.
05:40 And Fennor has so many different option lenses.
05:43 So that way you can specialize in what it is
05:47 that you're trying to accomplish.
05:50 So for example, for offshore,
05:52 I know that I'm gonna want the gray lens,
05:54 which will help with the sun exposure,
05:56 which will in turn allow my eyes to last longer
06:00 and not get so tired so that we can fish for longer.
06:03 And it's the same thing for inshore
06:05 versus low light conditions.
06:07 There's so many different conditions
06:09 and that's where it's good to have those options.
06:12 And Fennor definitely has those options.
06:14 We actually kind of on the topic of switching topics
06:17 to the projectiles.
06:20 I was on anchor this week and we're yellowtail fishing
06:23 and a cereal mackerel literally flies in the boat
06:26 and lands on the deck.
06:27 It happens to people.
06:28 Yeah, it actually hasn't happened to us before,
06:30 but it's the first time it happened.
06:31 And it didn't hit anything, it just landed on the deck.
06:34 But that is kind of one of those moments
06:35 where things can happen
06:36 that are completely out of your control.
06:38 And that's where it's really important
06:39 to have high quality lenses.
06:41 And Fennor's lateral line polycarbonate lens
06:44 is actually two times more scratch resistant
06:47 than its competitors.
06:49 So high quality lenses
06:50 for whether it's a kingfish flying in the boat or a sinker,
06:54 or maybe your eyes are getting tired looking for birds
06:56 is really important.
06:57 - Okay.
06:58 Yeah, and it's interesting that Melinda had mentioned,
07:01 running across a lake at 70 miles per hour.
07:07 On the saltwater side, we run pretty far, pretty fast,
07:11 but at the same time,
07:12 we generally have windshield protection,
07:14 which helps a little bit.
07:15 So it's funny, 'cause I was thinking about
07:17 what she was saying.
07:18 I was like, wow, yeah, in a bass boat
07:20 or some other kind of lake boat,
07:22 you have no protection whatsoever from anything.
07:26 There's nothing in front of you,
07:27 but wind and trees and potential projectiles.
07:32 I mean, I'm sure, not just the type
07:36 that could really hurt you,
07:37 but also the bugs, you know.
07:38 - They sting really bad.
07:40 I think I find that bad.
07:41 - Absolutely.
07:43 And yeah, if I'm standing outside of the center console
07:47 on a saltwater boat running and I don't have my glasses,
07:50 I definitely can get hit in the eyes with some bugs,
07:54 especially down here in the South.
07:56 So Melinda, tell me,
07:58 what do freshwater anglers need to know
08:00 about the various colors and materials?
08:03 You spoke a little bit about the polycarbonate
08:05 versus the glass with regard to impact resistance,
08:09 but what's the polycarbonate better for,
08:11 or what's the glass better for?
08:13 What about low light?
08:15 What about the various conditions
08:17 that you see on a lake or on a river?
08:20 Tell our anglers what they need to know
08:22 about the colors and the materials.
08:26 - People sometimes land to go to poly for weight.
08:30 So glass is a little bit heavier,
08:33 but you do get a little more sharpness
08:35 with glass and so you have your gives and takes.
08:39 But one thing that we did at BU is we lightened up
08:42 our frame so much that you don't have
08:44 that much difference in the light.
08:47 Now, think about it, you know,
08:49 and Emily spoke on this too, you know,
08:51 you're out there on the water all day
08:53 and every bit of weight matters,
08:56 especially whenever you're spending
08:57 really long days on the water.
08:59 Our practice days start at daylight and they end at dark.
09:02 And so you're wearing that on your face
09:05 and you're concentrating.
09:06 So you're using those muscles even behind your,
09:09 you know, right here behind your head.
09:11 And so you're tensing up.
09:13 So a lot of times people want the least amount of weight.
09:16 And so that pushes them to poly.
09:18 I normally wear glass.
09:20 I have a problem with setting my sunglasses down
09:25 and they scratch if you put your sunglasses down.
09:29 So I'm not as careful as I need to be.
09:31 So I normally wear glass just because it doesn't scratch
09:35 and I'm not, I don't know,
09:36 I'm the mom of two little girls
09:38 and I'm more focused on keeping them out of trouble
09:41 and I'll just set my glasses down.
09:43 So for that reason, I'm normally gonna push glass.
09:46 There are so many different lenses that we offer.
09:49 And so we offer the blue lens,
09:51 which is gonna be on a gray base, as well as a gray base.
09:55 And that's gonna be your high sun.
09:58 A lot of offshore anglers really love that lens.
10:01 And a lot of bass anglers really love it
10:04 whenever they're fishing offshore in the summer.
10:06 So whenever we're not fishing on the bank.
10:08 And that's just gonna give you the most protection.
10:10 It's gonna give you your most natural field of view.
10:13 And then we step down to our green lens,
10:15 which is just a little bit lighter than that.
10:17 And it's on a copper base.
10:19 And then we have straight copper
10:21 and we have silver mirror over copper.
10:24 And why those are important is every little bit of light
10:29 that it allows in your eyes is gonna be a contrast
10:33 that you're able to see in the water.
10:35 And that's really important
10:36 whenever you're being able to pick out structure,
10:38 you're being able to look at bait fish
10:40 or even spawning bass or spawning bluegill.
10:45 We were at a tournament this past week
10:47 and a lot of the anglers were looking for bluegill beds.
10:50 Well, a lot of times you can visibly see them.
10:52 So that little bit of light that you can lighten it up,
10:56 but still have all that protection
10:58 is extremely important for you as an angler.
11:00 My favorite lens is our rose mirror.
11:04 It's on a rose base.
11:07 It allows you every bit of contrast, but as much brightness.
11:10 I have really light eyes.
11:12 And so I need as much protection,
11:15 but it doesn't give me a headache or anything.
11:17 So it's a really light lens,
11:19 but it allows me to really pick out things in the water,
11:23 I think even more so than a lot of our other lenses,
11:26 just because I wear as light as I can stand.
11:29 Our purple lens is a low light lens.
11:31 Right now, we only make it in poly,
11:34 but we're making it in glass in October,
11:36 which I'm really excited about.
11:38 But it is a yellow base.
11:41 So it's really bright,
11:43 but it's perfect for foggy conditions
11:45 that we see a lot in freshwater.
11:48 And stormy days and good, really great
11:51 until 10 in the morning.
11:53 But if you wanna see a bass on a bed
11:56 or really target something really shallow before 10,
11:59 I think that is by far your best lens to go to.
12:03 So we make a variety of lenses
12:05 just to really help you as an angler.
12:07 I think a lot of people diminish the fact
12:09 that lenses are such a huge tool for us.
12:13 You think about your rods, your reels, your line,
12:16 your lures, but you forget one of the most important things
12:21 is built into your face, your eyes,
12:23 and being able to see and target those things.
12:25 And whenever we can help enhance it
12:27 with our sunglasses and our lenses,
12:29 it really can help you be set apart from your competition.
12:33 - Yeah, and be a better angler.
12:35 And I wanna mention something too.
12:36 You mentioned your light eyes.
12:38 And my husband has very light blue eyes.
12:41 And he literally had cataract surgery
12:43 when he was 45 years old.
12:46 Because when you have light eyes,
12:48 you need more protection.
12:50 Of course, when he was younger,
12:51 there were no really good protective sunglasses available.
12:55 You could buy Wayfarers or Ray-Bans or whatever, aviators,
13:00 but that was about it.
13:01 And they didn't have a whole lot of protection.
13:03 Anyway, Emily, let's talk about saltwater anglers.
13:06 What do they need to know?
13:07 What do you think's best for offshore, inshore,
13:09 high sun, low sun?
13:11 - Definitely.
13:12 I think ultimately what's going to be best
13:15 is what is most comfortable for you.
13:18 There's a lot of information out there
13:20 and that I'm happy to share as well
13:22 on the difference from offshore versus inshore
13:25 versus bright light.
13:27 But ultimately it's gonna come down to comfort
13:30 and what you like.
13:31 For me personally, I love the plastic.
13:34 I know Melinda said she was kind of more of a glass person.
13:37 I like the polycarbonate, the lightweight,
13:40 the thinner frame is a huge plus for me
13:43 for long days on the water.
13:45 I find that the top of my nose gets sore
13:48 if I'm wearing a heavy frame.
13:49 So I go for the plastic.
13:52 And Fennor's plastic is extremely scratch resistant.
13:55 So I've never had really an issue at all
13:58 and with putting my sunglasses down
14:01 or with them getting scratched,
14:03 even though they are plastic.
14:04 As far as versus plastic or glass,
14:07 like I said, that's kind of preference.
14:09 What would be important to know would be
14:11 offshore conditions are very, very bright.
14:14 And a general rule of thumb that I kind of like
14:17 to tell people is you kind of want to match your condition.
14:19 So when you think of offshore,
14:20 you think of blue water, you think of deep water.
14:23 So for Fennor, for offshore,
14:26 you would go with the gray lens and the blue mirror.
14:29 So that blue matches that blue water.
14:31 And that's just kind of a little trick.
14:32 And I kind of talked about it with the eye fatigue
14:35 and that gray lens is actually going to help eliminate
14:39 that eye fatigue and all of that light that's getting in.
14:43 - I was just going to say, yeah,
14:44 with respect to gray as a color lens,
14:48 it lets the least light in.
14:52 I know at one point I did an article
14:54 that talked about light transmission.
14:57 And gray is the base that you need
15:00 if you're in really bright sunlight
15:02 because it lets less light in.
15:05 And the mirror, the blue mirror coating
15:10 even cuts that amount of light transmission down further.
15:14 So you don't need as much light getting to your eyes
15:18 when you're offshore, you want to protect them
15:20 against all of that sunlight and all of that glare
15:23 and you'll be able to see better.
15:25 So anyway, I wanted to interject that
15:27 because I was able to learn that
15:29 when I was writing an article about sunglass colors.
15:32 And you were going to talk about inshore, Emily.
15:34 - As for inshore, you kind of going on the same concept
15:38 of matching your environment.
15:40 You have a lot of browns and greens and darker colors.
15:44 So that's where you're going to want the copper lens
15:45 with the green mirror.
15:47 And something that I like to kind of think of is for copper.
15:51 So if you have a photo in your phone, let's say
15:53 and you want to saturate it,
15:54 you literally will saturate it to add more color.
15:58 And the copper lens will actually do that
16:00 to your surroundings.
16:01 So you want to saturate,
16:02 you're around so many browns and greens
16:04 and it can almost sometimes be muted,
16:06 especially, I don't know if you're familiar
16:08 with the flamingo fishery,
16:09 that water is like chocolate milk brown.
16:12 So if you're trying to see,
16:14 the snook under there or something,
16:15 you're going to need to saturate your surroundings.
16:17 And that's where the copper lens is gonna come into play.
16:20 - Great, yeah, yeah.
16:22 We have similar water up here.
16:24 And so I use fairly, I use a copper lens or I use a rose.
16:29 The only time I've actually personally used the yellow lens
16:33 which you were mentioning Melinda
16:35 was when I'm actually hunting.
16:38 And it's a very common lens color to use for hunters,
16:43 especially bird hunters who are trying to shoot
16:46 as dawn comes up.
16:49 So it's interesting.
16:50 - We have a lot of hunters that have been so comfortable.
16:53 So it was something that was easy for them to adopt.
16:56 So we have a lot of anglers that do both.
16:59 - Gotcha.
17:00 Emily, do you have any personal stories to share
17:03 about how sunglasses have affected your fishing?
17:06 You found, you saw a fish, you cast to it,
17:09 it ate, you know, ta-da,
17:12 anything positive or even negative, you know,
17:15 that's something that's taught you a lesson about,
17:18 oh, well, maybe I should be using this instead of that.
17:20 - Definitely.
17:21 I will say that when I first started charter fishing,
17:25 I didn't realize the value of high quality sunglasses.
17:30 And I'd be fishing with other captains
17:31 and they'd be like, oh, part of it, I will say,
17:34 it comes down to training your eye,
17:35 but a huge part of it, like Melinda said,
17:37 is sunglasses are tools,
17:38 just like you want the best fishing rod,
17:40 the reels, the lures,
17:42 you're gonna want the best sunglasses.
17:44 And I've been with other charter captains
17:45 and when I first started out
17:47 and they would start pointing at birds,
17:49 like what birds, where are the birds?
17:50 I don't see the birds.
17:51 And sure enough, once I started investing
17:54 in nice sunglasses, it was like, oh, there's the birds.
17:58 And I felt like I could see them way before I could
18:01 prior to having nice sunglasses.
18:04 I also think that aside from the high quality of the lenses,
18:09 for me as well, has been the comfort.
18:12 And I have a petite face
18:14 and I know a lot of women struggle
18:16 with finding the right frames for their faces.
18:20 And one thing for me that's always been huge
18:22 is that the sunglasses always hit the brim of my hat
18:25 and then the hat pushes down and then your nose gets sore.
18:29 So having the right pair of frames is also huge
18:33 for comfort for being out there for many, many hours.
18:36 And that's where I have found that I love the Fenor
18:38 has the rum line, which is essentially their unisex frame.
18:42 I would say has a more of a masculine look to it.
18:44 More of, I like to think of it
18:45 as more of an intense fishing frame, great for offshore.
18:47 Kind of has the wrap around the extra sun protection
18:51 and more material at the end of the day.
18:54 So I think that it's a combination of comfort
18:57 but also being able to have that high quality lens.
19:01 So you can see the birds further than you thought
19:04 that you could prior to having those lens.
19:06 - Yeah.
19:06 And you went ahead and mentioned the sunglass frames
19:09 and what you're describing, I believe is a wrap, correct?
19:14 - Yes, correct.
19:15 - And that's probably the highest technical type of frame
19:20 especially for saltwater fishing that you can get.
19:25 And literally it means that the frames are bent
19:29 to where they really cover your eyes.
19:33 They really cover the side of your face
19:35 where the glare can get in, that type of thing.
19:38 Often the wrap frames are unisex or men's.
19:43 We'll talk about the men's versus women's in a minute
19:46 but Melinda, I wanted you to have a chance
19:49 to address that question about personal stories
19:52 about how sunglasses affected your fishing.
19:55 And then also if you want to comment on frames.
19:57 - Growing up, I think I always purchased sunglasses,
20:00 the color of my lenses for fashion.
20:04 - Yeah.
20:05 - I wanted them to look cool.
20:06 I had no idea that they were different things
20:10 for different, like I could target
20:12 different things with them.
20:14 So I think being educated on that
20:16 and learning how I can make a difference
20:19 just in my lens choice was a big thing for me.
20:22 And I really saw that fish in all American,
20:26 there was a locust hatch.
20:28 And so the locusts were on the water and shallow water
20:31 and the fish were coming up to feed on them.
20:33 And I could see bass that my partner couldn't see.
20:37 And I was able to target them.
20:39 And finally at the end of the day,
20:41 I was setting, I was leaving that tournament
20:43 after the end of day two.
20:45 I gave my partner my sunglasses
20:47 so he could see things that he'd been missing all day.
20:51 You realize in those moments
20:53 just how much difference great technology
20:56 can make for your eyes and being able to target things.
20:59 Even in muddy water, like Emily mentioned,
21:02 they're really dark.
21:03 A lot of times you're gonna see what looks like a shadow.
21:06 It might not be the actual structure,
21:08 but you're gonna see a little color change
21:10 and that's how you're gonna be able
21:12 to target that structure.
21:13 So wearing light lenses, even in murky water,
21:17 really muddy water, whenever we have floods here
21:20 in freshwater is really key too.
21:22 So you can't diminish just because the water's muddy
21:25 that you don't need the right lens
21:28 because just being able to see that shadow
21:31 may let you flip over there and find one more bass.
21:35 One more bass and my world is winning or losing.
21:38 You know, those ounces matter.
21:40 And so every one fish or every ounce that we can catch
21:44 that can better us makes such a big difference.
21:46 And that's how I think about it
21:48 every time that I pick my lenses.
21:50 - Yeah, okay.
21:51 What about frames?
21:52 - Frames are extremely important.
21:54 I think that that's probably the biggest mistake
21:57 we all make, honestly, because I hear people like,
22:00 "What's your most popular frame?"
22:02 And it goes back to what fits you
22:06 because sunglass companies make a variety of frames
22:10 and it's all different fits.
22:12 So small, medium, large, extra large.
22:14 We're all created different.
22:16 I think our brain sizes, you know, we all fit differently.
22:20 Whether pretty faces for females and men,
22:24 people that are 6'5" that need a really large frame.
22:28 And so it's so important to try on the frame,
22:31 see what fits you, whether it's a wrap
22:34 or what's beautiful now is that we're able to create frames
22:39 that have the wrap without having the big sides.
22:43 So it's not everybody loves that on their ears.
22:46 It's just not comfortable for them.
22:48 - So we've finally created a large and XL fit
22:51 that have really thin sides,
22:53 but the frame still wraps behind your eye.
22:57 So you're still getting that same coverage and protection
23:00 and blocking out of the sun that you would get
23:03 from a full wrap, but without the extra weight.
23:07 - Now that makes plenty of sense.
23:09 And I have definitely seen a lot of frames like that.
23:13 And I use one for inshore fishing that's a wrap
23:17 with some lightweight side pieces.
23:20 And that is important too about trying them on
23:22 because as Emily mentioned, you know, put your hat on
23:27 and then put the glasses on or vice versa.
23:29 See if you can wear the hat where you wanna wear it
23:33 without it pushing your sunglasses down on your nose.
23:36 That's an important thing.
23:38 How the frames feel over your ears and behind your ears
23:42 and against your head.
23:43 There are also some people that have really wide faces here
23:47 and their faces touch the frames.
23:51 And that can be, eventually can cause you to have a headache.
23:55 And the other thing that I always do
23:57 when I put a pair of sunglasses on is I smile.
24:00 Because when I smile, my cheeks go up
24:03 and then the frames go up and you need to, you know,
24:07 it needs to be so that you can smile without having to,
24:10 you know, your sunglasses bobbing up and down.
24:13 So there are an awful lot of things that are technical
24:16 about getting the right pair of sunglasses out there.
24:18 And it's just, you know,
24:20 sometimes it'll be trial and error,
24:22 but with polarized sunglasses being as costly as they are,
24:27 it is very important to make sure you get the right pair.
24:31 Okay, what are some other characteristics, Emily,
24:35 of a good pair of sunglasses?
24:36 I was talking about fit.
24:38 And so, you know, spring hinges, non-slip nose pads,
24:43 light weight.
24:44 What are some of the other things that you look for?
24:47 - Definitely, like you mentioned, the spring hinges for,
24:50 you know, the wider faces,
24:52 maybe if the sunglasses need to, you know,
24:55 bend past what would be their normal profile is great.
24:59 Something that Fenor has is the adjustable nose piece,
25:01 which I love, where you can literally take the nose piece
25:04 and you can shrink it in and it'll actually,
25:07 by, I have them in my hand right here,
25:09 you can shrink them in and then the sunglasses
25:12 will sit higher on your nose,
25:14 or you can push them out
25:15 and then they'll sit lower on your nose.
25:17 And what I like about it is it's pretty flexible,
25:19 but it also kind of holds its structure.
25:21 So I'll put my sunglasses on, then I'll put my hat on,
25:23 and then wherever that hat pushes them down to naturally,
25:26 it's just a natural fit.
25:27 So having the adjustable nose piece,
25:29 and then you can see here,
25:30 we have the extra material here that kind of gives you
25:34 that extra sun protection, or like the wrap around.
25:37 These are the rum lines.
25:38 These are my fishing frames
25:40 for when it's going to be a really long day.
25:42 And then of course I have some lifestyle frames,
25:44 or maybe I actually have some frames
25:46 that I prefer for free diving.
25:47 This is my fishing frame, I have a free diving frame.
25:49 So there's definitely things to consider
25:52 for when you're getting a frame.
25:53 And my big thing with Fenora that I love
25:55 is this adjustable nose piece right here.
25:57 - All right, why don't you speak a little bit
25:59 to women's frames as well,
26:01 because we kind of touched on that
26:02 and I forgot to come back to it.
26:05 Have you tried women's frames?
26:07 Have you found any good technical women's frames?
26:09 - I wear both.
26:10 I would say that I'm not close-minded to,
26:13 oh, I definitely have to have a women's frame
26:14 or a men's frame.
26:16 So for the women's frames with Fenora,
26:18 they have the Toulouse, which is another,
26:22 they're not wrap, total wrap around,
26:23 but they are more of a fishing style that I prefer.
26:27 I like them for free diving.
26:28 They don't have the nose arm,
26:30 so it doesn't get stuck in your hair.
26:33 So when I'm diving and my hair gets salty,
26:34 I can put them on my head and not worry about it.
26:36 And then the other style of women's frames
26:39 I like from Fenora is the surf candy.
26:41 And those are like the aviator style.
26:43 And those to me are, I wear them fishing as well,
26:46 but they're also my go-to kind of,
26:48 I'm going, I kind of wanna look cute today.
26:50 And I wanna put them on my head
26:52 or I want to dress up a little bit.
26:54 So I have different frames for different purposes
26:58 and I don't necessarily get too concerned about,
27:01 is it a woman's frame or a men's frame?
27:04 I just try them on and figure out what's best for me.
27:06 And like I said, Fenora does have that unisex frame
27:10 that I love for fishing, which is the rum line.
27:13 - Well, and one thing too,
27:14 is when you're looking online, for instance,
27:17 and shopping frames, the companies of Fenora and Bahio
27:22 and all the other sunglass companies will mention,
27:25 is this for a small face?
27:26 Is this for a medium face?
27:28 Is this for a large face?
27:30 So when you get a chance to try on multiple types of frames,
27:35 you can then determine, hey, I'm a medium frame.
27:38 So then you know that it's like your sunglass style.
27:41 So you can, the next time you buy,
27:44 you can shop that and say, okay, I need a medium frame.
27:47 And that's even true with some of the women's varieties.
27:51 Emily, there was one thing you mentioned
27:53 that I wanted to go to.
27:55 You were talking about when your hair is wet and salty
27:57 and putting the sunglasses on.
27:59 What were you saying that your glasses have?
28:02 - The Toulouse, or really just,
28:04 there's some, these on my head.
28:06 - Okay. - The Toulouse.
28:07 These are the ones I like for diving
28:10 because you know how like the aviator style
28:12 has those nose pieces that get stuck in your hair?
28:15 So that's where I like to have the variety
28:16 and maybe the Toulouse will be what I use for diving
28:19 because I know I'm gonna be getting in and out of the water.
28:21 I'm gonna put them on my head, take them off,
28:23 versus if you're fishing,
28:25 they just stay on your face most of the time.
28:28 And then when I'm diving, I'm like, okay,
28:29 I need a pair that I can put on my head.
28:31 I don't have to worry about the seaweed
28:33 that's gonna get caught in my hair,
28:35 that's gonna get stuck with the sunglasses.
28:37 So this is kind of like having the variety
28:39 and I would say Fennor definitely has that.
28:41 - Yeah, I mean, hair definitely has something to do
28:44 (laughs)
28:45 with sunglasses. - Yeah.
28:46 - We all have long hair.
28:47 So it's like, I know, I mean, I've been there.
28:50 I know what you're talking about.
28:52 Melinda, how about you?
28:53 What are some of the other characteristics
28:55 that you really like?
28:56 And also, how do you feel about women's frames?
28:59 - One of the biggest keys I look for is lightweight.
29:02 And it's, again, it's the time on the water
29:04 that I'm out there, I want as light as I can get.
29:08 And I still want the coverage.
29:10 Her nose pieces, those, it's extremely important.
29:14 We encapsulate our, we wear metal frames too.
29:17 I wear metal frames, especially right now.
29:19 It's 105 degrees today.
29:21 I want as little touching my face as possible,
29:24 just because of the sheer heat and humidity.
29:28 And so I wear metal a lot in the summer.
29:31 And so what's big with that is that whenever I put them up
29:35 on my head, our nose pieces are encapsulated.
29:38 So before you would have that wire that would get caught.
29:41 And so that's a very big feature for women.
29:45 We don't want that.
29:46 And so that, I think Beheo did it really well on our metals.
29:51 And then, you know, lightweight
29:54 and being able to withstand the temperatures.
29:57 So whether you leave it in your car and it's hot,
30:01 they're not gonna deform.
30:03 And that can happen.
30:04 And also if you're in really cold.
30:07 So our frames are made of a plant-based material,
30:11 which is extremely sustainable,
30:12 but it also is something that we didn't just skimp
30:17 on the fact that it can withstand everything that we need.
30:21 And they tested it against extreme heat, extreme cold,
30:24 because we're going from one level to the other
30:27 and it's not gonna make them brittle.
30:28 It's not gonna make them fail.
30:30 And that's really important to me
30:32 because I've had instances in the past
30:34 where the frames would misshape
30:36 or it would make them not withstand,
30:39 whether we would have rubber problems or whatever.
30:42 So I think that that's really important to me,
30:45 just something that's gonna really withhold
30:46 what I'm fishing in.
30:48 Female frames, I love them.
30:50 I'm competing in a super male-dominated world
30:53 and I wanna still be feminine.
30:55 And it's really important to me to remain feminine
30:59 while I'm doing that.
31:00 I don't wanna lose my identity
31:01 and have two little girls that are watching me.
31:03 And I want them to know
31:04 that they can be really strong females in that world
31:08 and be able to embrace that
31:10 while still having the same technology.
31:12 So I think it's really important to me as a mom
31:15 of two eight and seven-year-old daughters
31:17 that are starting to compete,
31:19 that they can still be feminine
31:21 and embrace that while on the water.
31:23 So I wear our Eldora.
31:25 We just launched it this year.
31:28 Before that, I had wore the Balems
31:30 and the Caldos and the Saldados.
31:33 And I still wear those,
31:34 but I found myself leaning to the Eldora.
31:37 It just has a really neat shape and it's super feminine,
31:42 but still it has that wrap back
31:44 that makes me look like a girl.
31:46 And I like that.
31:49 I like that reason.
31:50 - Yeah, and I appreciate the fact
31:53 that the sunglass companies have stepped up
31:56 and not all of the women's frames are purely lifestyle.
31:59 And yes, I wear lifestyle sunglasses,
32:01 so there's nothing wrong with that.
32:02 But I do like having technical sunglasses for fishing
32:07 because I live in a zone here in South Georgia
32:11 that is extremely hot, extremely sunny.
32:14 It's a lot like Florida.
32:17 And I fish in water that's very murky.
32:21 So there are challenges.
32:23 And I appreciate the fact that I can choose a frame
32:28 that fits my small face and keeps me feeling feminine
32:31 as well as letting me see fish.
32:34 The one other thing I wanted to also mention,
32:36 and we've talked about technologies
32:38 and how they've changed, is anti-fogging.
32:42 And I know all of us live in humid places.
32:46 You just mentioned your Arkansas home is also humid,
32:50 just like the Florida Keys and South Coastal Georgia.
32:53 It used to be you would put on a pair of wraps,
32:56 eight-base wraps, let's say,
32:58 that are really, really formed to your face,
33:02 and you would breathe and the humidity
33:06 would get up inside the glasses
33:08 and you couldn't see anything.
33:09 So the anti-fogging technology, I think,
33:12 has come a long way.
33:13 I mean, there's venting and then there are coatings.
33:16 Is that right, Emily?
33:17 - Yeah, definitely.
33:19 That's another great feature to nice sunglasses
33:23 is having that breathability, so that way the fog,
33:26 when you're wearing, for us, for offshore,
33:28 and I know inshore people do it too,
33:29 but when I'm offshore, I'm gonna wear my buff
33:32 or my face shield way up over my nose
33:34 to protect myself from the sun.
33:36 And when you're breathing, that heat and fog
33:38 can get trapped behind the sunglasses.
33:40 So having that venting technology
33:43 is really gonna be beneficial to prevent that fog,
33:46 especially in the different temperatures.
33:49 And whether you choose to wear a face shield or not,
33:52 you'll have that for sure.
33:54 - Melinda, anything to add about that, anti-fogging?
33:57 - Yeah, I think it's also taken the frames technology
34:00 a step further, and there's a lot of channels
34:03 built into your frames, and then just how they're setting
34:07 around your face to where they can breathe,
34:09 where you're getting that air movement
34:12 without it getting trapped.
34:14 I think that's one of the worst things.
34:15 They fit you too well.
34:17 And so having those vents by your eye
34:21 is gonna be just as important beside them.
34:25 So just having that where that air can move,
34:28 because early morning, whenever it's really cold
34:31 and we go fishing, and then you put your sunglasses
34:34 on your face and they're hotter, that air gets trapped,
34:38 immediately you're gonna have fogging issues
34:40 if you don't have that.
34:41 And so it's extremely important
34:43 because you're gonna lose your visibility
34:44 running down the lake, and you can't afford to have that
34:48 whenever, especially we're taking off 200 boats at a time
34:52 in single file order, you cannot have your visibility
34:55 be messed up.
34:57 - Yeah, that would be very dangerous.
34:59 Are there any other topics that you guys think
35:02 that we need to address for our listeners
35:05 with regard to choosing sunglasses and using them?
35:09 - I have one, and it's readers.
35:12 We finally launched readers this spring.
35:15 So now our readers are built in to our lenses.
35:19 And that's so important, getting close to that age.
35:23 Now it's become a struggle for me,
35:25 and I see myself getting out a little bit.
35:29 So being able to tie a knot and not have to wear two pairs
35:33 is really important for us.
35:35 I think time is so important that anything that takes me
35:39 extra time, I don't wanna do it.
35:40 So being able to have readers built in,
35:42 we do it in 1.5, 2, and 2.5,
35:45 and all of our core frames for fishing.
35:49 And that can help a lot of people
35:51 be more effective on the water.
35:53 - Absolutely.
35:54 Emily, any other topics or thoughts?
35:57 - I think the prescription lenses
35:59 are definitely very valuable for people.
36:02 I personally wear contacts.
36:04 I am very blind without my contacts,
36:07 but for people that like glasses,
36:10 Fennor does offer progressive or single vision prescriptions
36:14 in all 25 of their polycarbonate lenses and models.
36:18 So definitely having,
36:19 if that is something that's important to people,
36:21 to be able to have that prescription is great.
36:24 - Yeah, yeah.
36:25 I've worn prescription sunglasses too.
36:27 This is a medical certainty.
36:29 I have been told by a doctor that we all see better
36:33 with glasses rather than contacts.
36:36 So if your vision is really important
36:39 for the type of fishing you do,
36:41 if that kind of clarity is important,
36:43 then prescription sunglasses definitely can be a key.
36:48 So that's a very good point.
36:49 Thank you.
36:50 Well, if there's nothing else,
36:52 I will thank you all for being with me today.
36:54 Thank you for shedding some light on this topic,
36:57 and hopefully it will help some of our listeners out there
37:00 make some good choices
37:01 and make sure that they protect themselves.
37:03 So thank you.
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