bi-focals vs cheaters

On Tue, 09 Mar 2004 02:00:17 GMT, "Charlie Wilson"
wrote:




If you use bi-focals fishing .... reports? suggestions ?

I went fishing with Willi today, it was my first outing since being
fitted with my first ever pair of prescription glasses (polarized bifocals).
We walked about two miles over medium boulders and I was constantly tripping
and struggling to keep up; I couldn't see where I was putting my feet.

:-(

I'm really sorry to hear that, being as I expected to follow the same route,
and soon. I haven't been able to see the end of my cast without correction for
thirty years, and now I can't see the damned fly while holding it without
resorting to flip-ups. These days I'm hoping they don't get to the "Who's
there?" stage...

Do your bifocals have a sharp cutoff or a soft one? I wonder if it makes a
difference either way.

/daytripper

"Larry L" wrote in message
...
Got a card saying it's time for my annual eye check, and the insurance
buys
one pair of glasses/ year

I'm tempted to get bi-focal polaroids ...

BUT

I fear they will increase my, already well developed, ability to trip and
fall while trying to watch the river and walk at the same time

If you use bi-focals fishing .... reports? suggestions ?


I have worn glasses since grade school, and have worn bi-focals for about
five years. I first had the soft transition lenses and it drove me crazy,
especially in front of a computer screen. I went to the hard line bi-focals
and like that much better. I can walk over rocks and trees only after
making a conscious movement of the head to look at my feet. It makes the
going slower. I'm going to hate tri-focals even more.

"daytripper" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
On Tue, 09 Mar 2004 02:00:17 GMT, "Charlie Wilson"
SNIP
Do your bifocals have a sharp cutoff or a soft one? I wonder if it makes a
difference either way.

/daytripper

Mine have a soft "Gleitsicht" ( Gliding sight), cut off, ( if you can call
it that), and I have no problems. Some people get used to these in a day or
so, others never do. My optician warned me not to drive home wearing the
first bifocals I got. After a couple of days, this was no longer a problem.

I did not like the sharp cut-offs I had first, and changed them pretty
quickly.

I wear either the clip on flip-up polaroids, or "wraparounds" that fit
completely over my glasses . The ones I have are amber, from "Solar Shield"
and are very good.

Try here;
http://www.wormbase.org/mailarch/wormbase/0064.html

http://www.psfsolutions.com/


When wearing bifocals at the computer, fly-dressing bench etc, you need to
check the position of your monitor, seat height, vice height, etc etc, as
you will otherwise end up with a stiff neck very quickly indeed.

TL
MC

One other point, if you do decide to try polarised bi-focals, or similar
stuff, then either try to get a cheap pair loaned to you "on spec" from your
optician, get cheap lenses fitted to existing frames, or buy a cheap pair.
If you can not get away with them, then this can otherwise be a very
expensive mistake.

Actually, the same thing applies to bi-focals generally. I know a few
people who just can not bear to wear them, but once you have paid for them
you are stiuck with them.

TL
MC

"Larry L" wrote in message
...
Got a card saying it's time for my annual eye check, and the insurance
buys
one pair of glasses/ year

I'm tempted to get bi-focal polaroids ...

BUT

I fear they will increase my, already well developed, ability to trip and
fall while trying to watch the river and walk at the same time

If you use bi-focals fishing .... reports? suggestions ?


I wear bi-focals fishing. And I wear bi-focal polarized sunglasses. At first
I went with the hard line action optics bifocal sunglasses but I had
problems with them, I decided to bite to the bullet and make use of a
medical spending account and bought the varilux no line transitional bifocal
sunglasses and have been glad that i did. No problem watching my step or any
such other than my usual penchant for being unable to walk and chew gum at
the same time.

Wayne

"Larry L" wrote in message
...
Got a card saying it's time for my annual eye check, and the insurance
buys
one pair of glasses/ year

I'm tempted to get bi-focal polaroids ...

BUT

I fear they will increase my, already well developed, ability to trip and
fall while trying to watch the river and walk at the same time

If you use bi-focals fishing .... reports? suggestions ?

I've worn bifocals for several years and had the same experience as others
in respect to difficulty with depth perception.

Last time I got new glasses I bought two pairs: a normal pair and a pair
with polarized lenses. I told the optician that I was a fly fisherman, and
she knew exactly what the problem was.

She understood that the biggest problem was seeing to tie knots, and knew
how hard it could be to walk. So they made the dark glasses with the
close-in focus only in the very bottom of the lens, unlike the 'normal'
pair, which has something like 1/3 of the lens designed for reading and
similar work. That made it much easier to see the ground and also to see my
flies floating over fish. Over and over and over and over.

Also, since a surprisingly high portion of the cost of glasses is the frame,
you can get rugged utilitarian frames for the fishing glasses that don't
cost a hell of a lot if you don't mind looking like a nerd. They've even got
hinges ready-made for paper clips. :-)

Bob

On Tue, 09 Mar 2004 02:15:21 GMT, daytripper
wrote:

Do your bifocals have a sharp cutoff or a soft one? I wonder if it makes a
difference either way.

I've had both kinds of bifocals over the years and hated all of them
for wading. I finally just went with contacts and reading glasses for
extra close work.
--
Charlie...

Do your bifocals have a sharp cutoff or a soft one? I wonder if it makes a
difference either way.

I got the fancy schmancy transitional kind with no lines. The only
advantage is they don't make you look like a fifty-something geek who needs
bifocals, the disadvantage is a very small area on the glass where
everything is in perfect focus, which causes a lot of head bobbing trying to
find the "sweet spot".

thank you all for your replies

I've decided to stay with my normal distance script in my polaroids and
continue to carry reading glasses and flip focal dealies for close work


--
"Fishing should be a ceremony that reaffirms our place in the natural world
and helps us resist further estrangement from our origins."
-- Thomas McGuane--