$179.99 MSRP:

Sundog Eyewear

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When anglers think about essential fishing equipment their minds immediately drift to rods, reels, lines and lures. Pretty important stuff to be sure. But just as high on my list of indispensible items are sunglasses.

Truth of the matter is, I wouldn't be caught dead on the water, or anywhere else when the sun is shining, without them.  That is why I was keen to field test the new Sundog Mark Melnyk Signature Series sunglasses the folks at the World Fishing Network (WFN) asked me to evaluate.

Not only will a good pair of sunglasses reduce eye fatigue and strain, blocking out harmful UVA and UVB rays that cause cataracts and even cancer, but will also cut through the surface glare of the water, allowing you to peer down deep to spot cruising fish, as well as see critical fish attracting structure and cover. Anglers like to refer to their sonar units as their "eyes beneath the water", but when you're fishing shallow and moderate depths, nothing beats your real eyes!

Of course, the operative word in all of this is a "good" pair of sunglasses. From past experience, I've determined, like everything else, there are good, bad and ugly.

So, how did the new Sundogs fare?

Construction

First, let me say, I am tough on my fishing equipment. I look after it and I maintain it well, but at the same time, I don't baby it. Truth is, I can't afford to. When you're out on the water as much as I am, between 100 and 150 days a season - plus another 75 or more days ice fishing in the winter - I expect my "stuff" to be built like the Energizer Bunny. That is, to take a licking and keep on ticking.

Tom Cruise may be able to protect the free world from terrorists while wearing a pair of thin, flimsy, wire frame sunglasses, but he'd quickly find out those things don't hold up well in a November sleet storm on Lake of the Woods, when he is bucking four foots waves, freezing rain and fighting a big muskie. Or jigging for lake trout in a - 40 F blizzard in the winter.

So, I love the sturdy, yet light, frame construction of the HALO and 22 DEGREES models I tested. You just have to pick them up and you can feel these suckers are strong, tough cookies. On that point, I especially like the super wide, light blocking, side frames on the HALO. They totally eliminate any light from sneaking in from the sides.

As for the Mela-Lenses on the Sundog glasses, theyare truly "unique", a much overworked word these days. How so?

Well, first, they block out damaging UV light. No surprise there. But they also filter out visible blue light that lets you spot swimming fish much easier. It gets better. The lenses contain a synthetic version of "melanin", the same substance our bodies produce to protect our skin from "blue light".

Is that cool or what?

And the lenses are photochromatic, meaning they adjust and adapt to the amount of light hitting your eyes, darkening or lightening accordingly.

Combine all these features together and the Sundogs really do let you see better when you look into the water.

"Hey, Tom, check out that big smallmouth cruising beside the boulders."

"What smallmouth, beside what boulders, Gord?"

"Ah, Tom, I forgot, you're still in Hollywood!"

Appearance

Speaking about Hollywood, the new Sundogs score well on the appearance front, too. For sure, Mr. Cruise is going to have "friends" hanging around him when I show up at his next Malibu beach party wearing my HALOs with their wide sides, but amongst my fishing buddies, the folks who really count, they are stylish and functional.

Conclusion

Of course, being polarized, anti-glare, photochromatic, melanin infused - did I mention they also have a hydrophobic (water repellent) and oleophobic (oil repellent) coating on the front of the lenses - means the new Mark Melnyk Signature Series Sundog glasses are ideal for driving in your vehicle, quad or snowmachine, as well as outdoor activities like downhill skiing, cross country skiing, hiking and snowshoeing.

So, move over Tom Cruise ... welcome Mark Melnyk.

Product for review provided by manufacturer.