Picking the right lens color for the fishing you do is an intimidating process for many anglers.  We’ve tried to make it easy for you by only offering those lens colors that offer superior vision when looking into water.  All the colors in Orvis sunglasses have been optimized and tested specifically for removing glare from the water’s surface and for seeing objects below the water.  They are not colors developed for snowboarding or golf or biking, although our sunglass colors are also superb for everyday wear and driving.

Amber - great for most fly fishing conditions

When in doubt choose amber.  Amber offers the best combination of visible light transmission and contrast enhancement for a wide variety of conditions from saltwater flats fishing to shaded trout streams.  It sharpens the edges of visible objects by selectively tuning the visible spectrum with very little loss of resolution.

Rose - for very bright conditions

Rose offer some advantages under very bright conditions, such as flats fishing on sunny days and fishing wide open rivers in bright sunlight.  Rose blocks slightly more visible light than amber, so it allows your eyes to stay rested after a long day on the water.  But even more important, rose blocks more infrared (heat) rays, so it keeps your delicate corneas from drying up after a long day in the hot sun.  It is especially advantageous for people with dry eyes or contact lens wearers as it helps prevent eyes from drying out.  The contrast enhancement of rose is as good as amber and some anglers wear the rose color under all conditions.

Why doesn't Orvis offer gray polarized lenses?

We design our sunglasses for the demanding conditions that fly fishing dictates.  Although some anglers swear by gray lenses, both our experience and our scientific testing of lens tints shows that gray lenses offer no advantage other than visible light blocking at all parts of the spectrum and removing glare.  They do not add any contrast enhancement, which is so important in spotting fish, rocks, ledges, and logs below the water’s surface.

Why doesn't Orvis offer mirror lenses?

Mirror lenses offer absolutely no increase in visual acuity.  They merely add cost and are 100% cosmetic.