I have now reached the point that I need magnifiers for anything smaller than a size 14. I found the Guideline sunglasses that have bifocal magnifiers at the bottom of the lenses, if anyone is or has used them please let me know what you think about them. Here is a link to there web site in case you haven’t heard of them before. Thanks http://www.glpolarized.com/Guideline/Bifocal
I know you asked if anybody used them but I thought I’d throw in my 2 cents even though I don’t.
I also can’t see much of anything small anymore. I started using magnifiers that attach to the brim of my cap and fold down when I need them and fold out of the way when I don’t. They work great for me. I prefer something like that rather than magnifiers that are always in place whether I need them or not.
While drying out, one day and nursing the bruised ego and left knee, my fishing buddy teased me, “Because he’d never seen me fall before”. (I didn’t know, where HE’S been?).
Anyway, I fell, because I was wearing my “progressive lenses”, (read;“Bifocals”), and when I GLANCED down at my feet, to move upstream, (I didn’t actually, fully LOOK thru my upper lenses), down I went on a rock “out of focus”.
I’ve never worn them, while fishing, since that day. It was weird to have the changed vision, when looking down thru the different lens change.
Now, I always weat my “FlipFocals” when magnifying something.
Another vote for on the brim flip down magnifiers except I find the Hat Eyes 100% superior to Flip Focals.
Of course if you don’t wear a hat with a brim…
If it’s worth anything, I’m an eye doctor. I’d suggest you get your eyes checked and see if you need even small amounts of correction for astigmatism. That can make a big difference in how you see. PLUS those lenses are set at an “average” distance apart and your eyes may be further apart or narrower and that can induce “problems”.
Get them checked and simply ask the Dr. if you can use those glasses comfortably. Make it a point to ask him/her BEFORE the exam so they don’t feel “backstabbed” (or ‘used’) by the question after the exam, if you know what I mean.
Most likely they are OK, but you are much better off making sure. Plus the fact of getting your eye HEALTH checked is worth the piece of mind.
Thats…Dr. BigBadWulff to you! 
I have a pair of the polarized sunglasses with the magnifiers in them.
They are great for tying small flies on, and really aren’t in the way when fishing.
Like the bifocals, you will have to learn to look a little farther down to see where you are stepping. I didn’t have any problems getting used to them.
One thing to note. Down here, we only have sand bottom streams to fish, so I haven’t had to worry about watching for rocks.
Kirk
PS. I’ve since had to start wearing progressive lenses for everyday. I got a pair of the clip on, polarized sunglasses to fish with. I haven’t used the others since. I only needed the others to tie on a fly, and I can do that with the precsription lenses.
kb
I can’t see up close worth a darn. I’ve tried a lot of apparatus, but I’ve settled on a pair of cheap drugstore (or more often than not convienience store) readers.
I used the flip-up kind for quite a while, but it seems like they were always in the way or getting knocked off or something. They never quite fit right on a hat with any kind of a curve to the bill.
The biggest problem I see with byfocal sunglasses is that they’re sunglasses. Even when I used the flip ups, I couldn’t thread a hook eye with sunglasses on in anything but the brightest sun. That’s why I wear a lanyard on my polaroids. Gotta take them off when I’m doing close up work so I can get some light on the subject. Can’t do that if your sunglasses and magnifiers are all in one.
I suppose the amount of light depends on lens coloration…I’ve had no trouble with amber/copper,etc.
I did not like the flip kind as it seemed the fly had to be at an exact focal point since the lenses are so far from the eye.
I buy a handful of reading glasses from the dollar store in various strengths…less for computer work …media for general reading…and strong [around 3.50] for threading flies…[maybe that’s also a reason I don’t notice the light problem].
BTW I contacted Guideline last year and their bifocals only go to 2.50 and if you want stronger you need to provide a doctor’s Rx.
I found this website with polarized Rx glasses for fishermen.
http://www.optilabs.com/site/prods.php?pfid=0,8,12
Joe
Thomas, I use a pair of bifocal magnified fishing glasses that I had an eye Dr. make for me. I only use glasses to read normally. However having them made means the magnified is centered for your eyes. Worth every dime, I think they were about $150, and that included the exam.
I bought a pair of Ono’s. They are polarized sunglasses with the bifocal in the bottom. I love them. No problem with wading, the bifocal part is not in the way at all. But I wear bifocal glasses so maybe I am used to it.
-wayne