There has been an explosion of new optics in the last few years with entry’s coming from all sources, including but not limited too, companies that have made a name for themselves building other equipment for anglers.
At ICAST 2013 Vicious debuted their Vicious Vision line of sunglasses aimed specifically at the angler.
Not until the 2014 Classic rolled around were we able to obtain a pair of these as they decided to make some changes in the frame styles before the production was ramped up.
What lens color to choose?
We managed to get a pair of the Vicious Velocity with copper lenses for our testing. We know that there is a lot of conjecture out there about what is the best all around lens if you can only have one pair with one lens color option.
In our opinion, we tend to default toward the copper colored lenses as they tend to increase contrast more than other colors. Furthermore, depending on how dark a particular lens is or is not, they can be used in a wide variety of conditions including cloudy and low light.
What is the single biggest reason that we anglers are willing to spend decent money on sunglasses? For us, it’s being able to see under the surface of the water, through the glare, the further the better. We also want to be able to see structure as clearly as possible to pinpoint our casts.
The Vicious line of specs uses Xperio UV lenses which have a number of angler friendly features.
These lenses are made with a multi-layer surface treatment that they claim provides unequaled glare elimination and polarization which translates to 20% greater contrast than their competitors.
Combine that with excellent scratch protection and what the company says is double the sun protection of any other lens and you should have a mighty fine piece of eye-ware.
The frames are constructed of TR90 polymers with stainless steel hinges and fitted with a rubber nosepiece and temple guards for comfort.
Comparing the Vicious
We decided to take them out and compare them side by side with our Costas (580G) to see if we could sift through the claims for accuracy.
Four of us were constantly exchanging one pair for the other at every stop we made for a couple of months on every fishing trip which included light conditions that ran the spectrum from one end to the other.
A couple of things that we can’t argue at all is the fact that the Vicious Vision glasses are very lightweight, another is that they are all day comfortable. In both categories these shades score very high with no negatives involved.
Through sweat, rain, sunblock, bug juice, wind and a few other typically harsh things to throw at a pair of specs, the Vicious glasses have come through without so much as a whimper. Not to mention all the less than meticulous, on the fly cleanings that they’ve been subjected too without using the manufacturer provided micro fiber cloth. Nope, we still haven’t scratched them.
Sight fishing is one of those ways of catchin’ ‘em that is not only necessary at times but can be a blast. Watching a big ‘ole bass thump your lure just never gets old!
The Vicious shades, in our opinion, do provide excellent color contrast which of course makes it easier to see a fish in the water. Is that contrast greater, less than or equal to our Costa’s? That is a tough one to answer as we had a split decision here.
In the final analysis, we are comfortable with saying that we think that they are on par in this area with Costa.
Another important component is how deep your glasses allow you to see. Given the same testing with that in mind, again we weren’t able to come up with a unanimous decision. So again, we’ll have to go with these being as good as, not superior but certainly not inferior to our Costa’s.
Any Peccadilloes?
We have to say that one of the most impressive features of these Xperio lenses is that there is no noticeable visual distortion even though they are a polycarbonate.
When you combine the visual acuity, contrast, glare elimination and comfort that is provided by the Vicious Vision sunglasses, it’s tough to find much of anything wrong with them. They are an excellent pair of glasses for fishing.
They are also priced in the same range as other higher end offerings, somewhere between $200 and $250.
The real question then becomes one that is personal. By that we simply mean that it is our practice to try sunglasses on before making a decision to purchase them. This is one item that we would never buy on-line without having had them in hand and on our faces.
As much research as you can do, as hard as you might try to make a highly informed choice, the bottom line is that the best equipment won’t do you any good if it just doesn’t fit you!
Take the time to find a store that carries all the brands that you are interested in, comparing them side by side so you can wear each pair for some time to check how they fit your face, how much light gets in on the sides, underneath and above the frame when its on. Be picky, look for the little things that you might have some hesitation over.
In the end, a really good pair of sunglasses, like the Vicious Vision shades, makes fishing that much more enjoyable while addressing some very pragmatic issues.
| Vicious Vision Sunglasses | |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating |   |
| Excellent vision with all day comfort | |
See ya’ on the water …