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i have a pair of the Flip Focals
Maybe my hat brim is too long or something, but I have trouble seeing through them
They're small, and far from your face .
You're constantly adjusting either the angle of the glasses or the angle of your hat
Not that reading glasses are any easier to deal with...............:(
I
The HatEyes slide about 2, may be 3 inches along the brim clip to bring them closer or farther away from your eyes. In addition, they come with two extension arms (short and long).
I use the kind of magnifying glasses that clip on my regular glasses. They work great for me when I need them, they are cheap, and I doubt I will ever lose them. I only clip them on when I am threading small flies, so I store them with my fly boxes when I am not actually using them.
The fold-up glasses that fit on the bill of my hat I have work well with a couple of limitations. They are plastic and, if you are not careful applying insect repellant, they will spot and cloud. Also after much use the hinges get loose and will sometimes drop if you move too quickly. I also have the bi-focal type sunglasses that work great until dusk, Duh!
I knew this was the place to ask with just the input I was looking for. Thanks.
Jill:
Just to clarify, (pardon the pun) there are two major brands of "on the visor" flip up/down magnifiers; Flip Focals and Hat Eyes. The Hat Eyes mentioned by Tyrone are VASTLY superior to Flip Focals in my experience. They also can easily be set up to flip above or under the visor.
They are pricier than Flip Focals initially but JUST the lenses can be replaced if damaged or you need stronger magnification. They don't seem to be as available as Flip Focals but they are worth the hunt.
I've tried the flip focus type and didn't like the weight on my sunglasses. Then I tried the hat brim type and lost one set, another the hinge kept getting loose and had to keep tightening the screw or it wouldn't hold its position. For the last 5-6 years I've used an extra pair of reading glasses and hang them around my neck with a Croakie.
My regular reading glasses are 1.25. For fishing, I got a pair of 3 diopter glasses, all the better to see the hook eye and those tangles. The pair I ended up with are the half height type that sit down low on the nose, so I don't take off my sunglasses, just put the reading glasses over the sunglasses, then slide them off when I'm done. This works for me.
MANY guides use them( the flip ups) . they are an easy , efffective tool
I have a pair of flip ups somewhere. I always seemed to see them out of the corner (top) of my eye. Bothered me a lot. Now I just wear my readers around my neck with croakies.
When I did wear the flip ups, because they sat further from my eyes it seemed like tunnel vision. My eyes don't test bad enough to wear regular glasses or I would try the bifocals.
Since I am pretty much always wearing sunglasses while fishing, I got the bifocal type. They work great and are always there.