Top 10 lists be damned, the greatest advancement to fly fishing ever invented is about to debut – and us old mean bastards can take our rightful place in the riffle undeterred by all the energy drink antics around us …

… assuming we still have good balance, naturally …

According to PixelOptics the patented electronic lenses provide dynamic and intelligent optics by using a combination of “chemistry, electricity, and other components” to correct for visual problems such as presbyopia, or loss of near focus common in people over 40. The lens has a section with an electro-active liquid crystal layer within it, and the index of refraction of this layer can be changed by a small electrical current passing through it, with the focal length varying with the current applied. Motion detection of the glasses is achieved by motion sensors similar to those used in the iPhone.

In automatic mode the electro-active layer is turned on and the focus changes automatically and almost instantly as the wearer tilts his or her head (to read a book or newspaper for example) and looks through the transparent electronic layer. In manual on mode the lenses behave like normal progressive lenses with the electronic layer frozen in the on position for close distances with the eyes looking down, but objects straight ahead in the distance can still be seen clearly. In manual off mode there is no current in the electronic layer, and so the lenses act like a low power progressive lens, which has little distortion and is good for everyday activities such as playing sports, walking, and so on.

Presbyopia, a fearsome word … you’re going to get it in your mid-40’s and it’s a game changer.

Having enjoyed perfect vision all my life I was not prepared for the impacts to my fishing (and fly tying) when my vision started to change. Small flies and fine tippets were useless without magnification, and if your glasses landed in the creek the trip was over.

Worse was the last 30 minutes before dark – the Sacred Time, when dumb fish get dumber and the big fish finally ease out from the protective cover of their log – and all I could do was hope the fly I’d tied on earlier would continue to work.

Now, like you, I fumble with reading glasses knotted around my neck – or trying to get sunglasses with a reading prescription that cost many hundreds of dollars, only to watch them tinkle apart on the side of the boat – or sink gracefully out of sight …

… it ain’t fair. Just when all those skills come together, Father Time pulls the rug out …

The electronic glasses give a wider field of view with much less distortion than traditional bifocal lenses or progressive addition lenses. They also give optimal vision for far and near distances, and in between.

The down side is that batteries are sold separately. The manufacturer recommends they be charged nightly, and claims a single charge is good for 3 to 5 days, just enough for a long weekend.

A thousand dollar bamboo rod or similar priced glasses? I wouldn’t even blink … but I’m going to look awful silly with a big Styrofoam float attached to my specs.

Tags: Presbyopia, small flies, prescription sunglasses, bamboo rod, electronic lens, fly tying, old farts unleashed