What To Look For
In addition to protecting a fisherman's eyes from the sun, fishing glasses have to provide complete coverage to protect eyes from sunlight reflected back up from the water and have a tint that allows fishermen a clear view to see below the water's surface. When shopping for fishing sunglasses, look for glasses with polarized lenses to cut glare from the water. Also, look for lenses with a brown tint to provide wearers with enough contrast to see the fish below the surface, like Lure Eyes' Cuda sunglasses, which provided Tackletour.com's tester the "ability to reduce glare and increase contrast" during sight fishing.
Common Pitfalls
Sometimes, fishing sunglasses can neglect the fact that the sun's rays reflected from the water's surface can do as much harm as the sunlight from above. Make sure that the sunglasses that you purchase provide adequate coverage from below as well as above. Also, some sunglasses get distorted around the outer edges due to the curvature of the lens. This can cause headaches and eyestrain in fishermen, so opt for lenses that have tapered edges to provide a distortion-free view.
Where To Buy
Sporting goods stores like Sports Authority and Mel Cotton's tend to carry fishing sunglasses, but fishing gear shops tend to carry more sunglasses geared specifically for fishing. Amazon.com and Theflyshop.com also carry a range of fishing glasses from which to choose, and both have solid return/exchange policies if the glasses aren't exactly to your liking.
Cost
Fishing sunglasses vary widely in price from over $400 for higher-end pairs down to around $20 for entry-level sunglasses as of 2010. If you want a polarized pair that is comfortable and will last for more than a season or two, expect to spend anywhere between $100 and $200.
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