As I age, I struggle more and more with my eyesight. I wasn’t always as blind as a bat, but decades of focusing on a computer screen and a torn retina through a sporting injury have taken their toll. I can’t see a thing without prescription glasses… and since meeting the family behind Mako Eyewear, I literally haven’t looked back!

As an angler, vision is incredibly important. Not just for tying knots and reading sounders, but for being able to perceive the subtlest of movement in the water that gives away the location of a fish.

Like many fishos, my favourite form of our sport is sight-fishing, often called “polaroiding” because of our dependence on quality polarised sunglasses to cut through the glare reflecting from the water surface. Stalking waterways, searching for the smallest indication of life beneath the surface and then nutting out the best way to present my lure in order to tempt a strike… that really rings my bells!

Naturally, good vision is paramount. GREAT vision is even better!

It was many years ago that a chance meeting with the family behind Mako Eyewear changed my fishing fortunes. I was in Coffs Harbour, about to compete in the Dave Irvine Memorial Snapper Class and the angler sitting next to me happened to be Ian Hoole, Managing Director of Mako Eyewear.

As the conversation rolled around to why I wore the glasses I wore (they were a gift) and how I found them, I was intrigued to discover that they developed their lenses from an optometric background, rather than from a sport fishing background. Yep. They had my attention!

Where the average angler with good vision can enjoy any old pair of polarised wrap-around sunglasses to provide protection in high glare environments, I found it impossible to find such a pair of sunnies that would work for me.

It turned out the problem was in combining wrap-around frames with a prescription. Typically, fitting prescription lenses into wrap-around frames resulted in a small field-of-vision, blurred peripheral vision and very limited prescription powers.  My glasses were a flatter profile, so that I didn’t suffer from distortion, but the compromise was in the glare.

When I tried a pair of Makos on, I was stunned at the difference their lens technology made. All I can say is that having fishing optoms develop your fishing eyewear makes LOADS of sense! When I was offered the chance to join their team of field testers, I jumped at it!

The Sublime

In August this year, I took delivery of a new pair of sunnies. I was promised by the R&D team that the lenses would “blow my mind”. Well, you know what happens when things get built up too big in your mind… I was fully expecting to be underwhelmed.

I needn’t have worried. These are top of the line! The only downside is the length of time it took to custom make these (in Italy) to my prescription, but once I put them on, I realised that they are a work of art… Timeframe now forgiven!

These are extremely high-end, rose lenses with a blue-green mirror inlayed between two glass, digitally formed layers (that’s my layperson take on it… Take a look below for a more technical explanation of the technology, supplied by Mako). That protects the mirror from scratching or delaminating — the most common issues with mirrored glasses.

MAKO GLASS RX POLARISING LENS — how it works, from Mako HQ.

Using freeform technology, MAKO has introduced both internal mirrors and High Definition glass technology into the Mako Rx programme. The lens material used for the new prescription glass lens is Crown Glass. It is simply the best quality lens glass available and used by all high quality lens manufacturers including Mako.

Available in the G2H5 glass lens, the process allows MAKO, through their Freeform Active™ lens, to offer one of the first eight base glass progressive lens options with an internal mirror. The digital freeform compensated lenses mean that the lens curve is adjusted to account for the angle and distance each eye is from the lens. This reduces warping at the outer edges of the lens.

Single vision is also available in eight base as well as six base options.

The MAKO G2H5 lens, a rose base with green mirror, is already a best seller and has generated excitement among the outdoor community in the plano range. It has led the way in glare reduction with incredible on-water ability, unbelievable clarity and vibrant reproduction of colour without the glare.

Internal mirror technology has been tested across MAKO’s sunglass range for years with outstanding results in the field for longevity and scratch resistance.

The new prescription lenses include proprietary HD lens filters, internal mirrors and 12 Anti Reflective coatings to exactly match the plano offering. We also apply Hydrophobic and Oleophobic coatings for improved water beading and dirt resistance.

The MAKO High Definition (HD) Filter works to enhance vision by reducing yellow and orange wavelengths of light resulting in better colour contrast and clarity

Every prescription lens uses specialised light weight 1.6 index glass, delivering crystal clear vision and minimal distortion across the surface.

The MAKO glass prescription lens is available in the popular GT, Covert, Blade, Escape, Sleek and Sleek XL frames.

 

I will point out right now that these are an apex product and will not be for everyone. Mako makes no apologies for the price, however. Whilst other sunglass brands deem the tech as too expensive, Mako believe that if the technology exists, it should be made available.  And so, it is. 

Having said that, the polycarbonate equivalent is jaw-droppingly good as well, and sits in the average price point of quality polarised fishing lenses.

The combination of the blue-green mirror on rose lenses has been setting the fishing world a-buzz for a few year now, but this is the first time I’ve tried it. Something about the combination makes everything POP at an almost surreal level of clarity.

I have a theory as to why…

As an artist, the colour wheel is etched into my brain. Understanding and applying colour theory allows us to render flat artworks to appear three dimensional, but using complimentary colours to create object shadows, for example. In design, I’ll select complimentary colours to offset one another and help one object to stand out.

Rose (red) and green are complimentary colours. I may well be wrong, but I think that looking through both simultaneously is somehow responsible for this new-found definition I’m enjoying. Of course, superior lens technology has a lot to do with it too! Please, don’t for a minute believe that cheap, servo bought sunnies with a tag that says “polarised” are comparable. They’re not even knocking at the gate of the ball park.

There are a number of good fishing sunglass brands on the market. If you’re serious about your fishing and your eye health, make sure that you invest in a quality pair. For my money, I’d recommend staying with your 100% Aussie owned, optom-developed Makos. After all, why should you compromise?

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