I have problems with sunglasses. If they aren't slipping off my face to
disappear in the depths of a lake or stream, I'm setting them down
somewhere and leaving them, never to be found again, at least not by me.
When I do manage to keep my hands on a pair for a couple of months, I
usually break them or scratch them so badly that they have to be tossed
anyway.
That's what happened in June during a fishing and
photo trip on a local stream. After photographing some stoneflies, I
placed my new $75.00 sunglasses in the passenger seat of my car while
I rigged my fly rod for some fishing, then forgot they were there and
tossed my camera bag on top of them breaking the frames. I would
have put them in my fly vest pocket, but they constantly work their
way out and fall on the ground. I've lost more than one pair of nice
sunglasses that way.
I was moaning about my damaged sunglasses the
next day when Doug Seiler called me to introduce a new product called
the Marsoop. The Marsoop is a sunglass retainer that keeps your glasses
on your head or around your neck like a Croakie does. When you aren't
wearing them, the Marsoop folds around your sunglasses to form a
protective case that prevents scratches and smudges on the lenses. It
also has a handy clip on it so you can clip your glasses to a D-ring on your
fly vest when you aren't wearing them. Finally someone was calling with
a product I could use. And, the neoprene model floats, so you can retrieve
them even if you manage to drop them in the water. A nice touch for the
water skier, or clumsy angler.
They also make a Marsoop for diving masks and are
working on models for cameras and binoculars.
I took a Marsoops with me to the Bighorn River in June.
It worked better than I had imagined. Not only did it keep my glasses snug
on my face, I now had a way to protect them from loss and damage when I
wasn't wearing them. That handy little clip works great. After testing them,
I promptly ordered a display for my fly shop.
It isn't often that someone creates a product that's
truly unique and totally functional. Most of us who manage fly shops
have to wade through piles of mail and ads that present another product
that's just like the last twenty we looked at. To make matters worse,
if it is functional it costs twice as much as the average person will be
willing to spend.
But, the Marsoop is different. If you buy any eyeglass
retainer and a protective case, your combined costs will far exceed the
cost of a Marsoop retainer/case. And, you won't get the handy clip to
attach them to your vest. Suggested retail for the Marsoop is $9.95 for
the cloth one and $12.95 for the neoprene model.
You owe it to yourself to try a Marsoop. Stop by your
local shop and take a look. If they don't stock Marsoops, ask them to get
a couple in. If all else fails, call 1-888-MARSOOP and order a couple. If
you'd like to look into this a little farther, check out their
web page.
You'll be glad you did.
~Al Campbell
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