Fishing with Aging Eyes

[Poodroo]

In recent times I have been constantly reminded that I am getting older with a few of life’s subtle reminders but one in particular now that I am 45 years of age is that my eyesight is not what it used to be. Gradually I have noted that instructions on bottles and packets are just getting harder to see and read and in particular I am finding that re-rigging 12lb flurocarbon leader is becoming increasingly difficult especially out in the wind.
Now I know statistically I am well within the normal guidelines for eyesight for my age group however I am finding it harder to cope with a lot of things pertaining to fishing. My eyes are fine for seeing distance but it is close up things I am beginning to struggle with. I know a visit to the optometrist is probably overdue and I will end up with reading glasses when I get to one however I was interested in hearing from other fishermen and women out there going through the same thing as I am and how they are coping. Do you bring the glasses out in the boat? I would be afraid of damaging them or losing them overboard. I would only need them when trying to see things close up. Do contact lenses work or does the salty air out on the water affect them? Poor eyesight has to be a bit of a burden but what measures are you my fellow Ausfishers doing to make your fishing life simpler and more manageable? Your feedback is appreciated.

Regards,

Poodroo

Sorry Andrew, that font and colour was hurting my " aging eyes " :)
Lol... Sorry Phill but my againg eyes were struggling with your selection. ;D

[DR]

I have the same problem, need glasses to read & do computer, at my last visit to the optom i was told i still have perfect long distance vision, good for spotting birds on the Bay:) i have a pair of those ones you see in the Chemists for around $20 for an emergency pair, the opt checked them & said they were good & i always have them with me. They are perfect for fishing, you just need to work put which strength you need. Seeing as how you are just starting to notice it, I would imagine you would only need a weak pair.worth checking them out..

[Tangles]

get prescription sunnies, worth their weight in gold,, also I use an old pair at night.. expect to trash them at some point,, goes with the territory Poodroo. Personally I hate contacts, tried them once, threw them in the bin,,


but practising knot tying in the dark with a few under your belt could help;D

[Poodroo]

I was hoping that everyone could read the blue font in the original post. Lol
Thanks DR and Aigutso for the help. Not sure about knot tying in the dark whilst alcohol affected though. I have enough troubles as it is sober in broad daylight. ::) I reckon I would give up at night time trying to rerig if I had a few under the belt and would either sleep or keep drinking. :P

Poodroo

[Tangles]

I reckon with glasses after a while they become second nature and you dont know they are there, thats the main thing, .

if you need them, get them but use them when necessary, like for me, when driving especially at night with the lights. On the water similar, not so necessary doing the day but at night definitely.

Which ever way you go, contacts or glasses both have their issues, lost count of how many pairs of glasses i have broken by stepping on them, sleeping on them etc... did two pairs in one day getting of the tinny at home in the garage... get the metal glasses, at least you can bend them back..

just adds another question in life now where did i put those glasses?

[Dick Pasfield]

Yep always take the glasses, either prescription or the cheap $20 pair for knots. Having said that one way to deal with the issue is to learn how to tie your knots without looking. It comes after a while when you're in a hurry and you tie without the glasses and realise you're using your fingers a lot more. When you realise that it's only one more step to start doing it consciously. Next thing you're doing knots in the dark nearly as easily as you were a few years ago in tha daytime and with good vision. A tip use a bit longer a tag end.

One thing however that does frustrate me immensely is the extra time it takes to remove a hook from a fish, finding the glasses and working inside its focal length trying to quickly remove a number of trebles is a real pain.

[Angla]

Just getting there myself. I find the cheapies from the paper shop or the key cutters are great.
They come in a metal cylinder complete for under $10.00. Buy a pair for the boat, another for the car, one for the van, and the shed. Start with the 1.0 strength and work up from there, but better to get your eyes tested for the correct strength if you are worried.

Chris

[el_carpo]

Hi Poodroo,

I've never used one, but I've seen knot-tying tools for sale. They are supposed to help those suffering from poor eyesight and/or arthritis to tie knots quickly. No personal experience, so I can't give an opinion as to their effectiveness but I've read reviews online that have been positive.

As for the glasses, yes, I'd get a pair. You can get one of those necklace/clip dealies to help keep them from falling off your face and breaking or dropping to the bottom of the sea when leaning over to net or gaff a fish. They have saved me a few times while wading in a river fishing.

[PinHead]

you may think your long vision is okay Andrew. I did but I was mistaken. I have graduated lenses on my glasses and once you get used to them they are brilliant.
I don't even notice I have them on and I paid the extra to have the lens' made of safety glass for work reasons. I have prescription sunnies as well. Do yourself a favour and go to the optometrist...the difference can be staggering when you get the glasses.

[PaulMark]

Well I'm arse about need glasses for distance have to take em off for close up.got bifocals for work but they're a pain.The big problem is working in the focal length,not funny when you're tying knots I agree.Just another challenge we have to overcome.Fingers aint as useful as they used to be either,starting to sound like me Dad.
Paulo.

[bluefin59]

Yes andrew i am in the same boat as you but i went and got mine tested when i was 44 , i now have 2 pair of script glasses for reading and a couple of pair of the cheapies 1 for the boat and 1 for my work bag i have avoided buying the script sunnies myself because my optomitrist recons your eyes get worse till you turn about 50 which is next year and then they dont get so bad so quick . This info may not be 100 % right i believe there is a member here who does this for a living get it done mate it makes life so much easier . ..matt

[maztez]

I'm in the 60 age bracket and can tell you it dos'nt really slow up .I get about 12 to 18 months out of a pair of graduated glasses. This makes it a pretty expensive exercise if I was to replace them each time so I just use the el cheapo glasses in the boat , the workshop etc lucky I don't need them for driving .
cheers Terry

[rob tranter]

Yep Pood
Have to agree with all of the comments except for the sunny's
When my eyes went, (around 44/45) I went to the Optom and was given reading and Prescription sunn'ys, the reading glasses where fine but I couldn't use the sunny's as they made everything at distance blurry, so I took them back, got told I'd need them in a few years, said I'll wait.

Make sure you get the thin ones so you can look up with out having to take them off, you just look over the top.

And the cheapies are wirth there wait in gold, a pair for everywhere;D , shed car, boat, work, sh!t, I don't know why I have the expensive buggers;)

Grow old gracefully, so far we're getting there

Rob T8-)

[Horse]

I wear graduated lenses for most things but use the long term contacts when out in the boat. That way I can wear my Spotters and not worry about spray on normal lenses. The new generation contacts are so good that you will forget you are wearing any

[Poodroo]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I will make the time to go and see the optometrist asap. I guess it may even be on Saturday seeing as the winds are predicted to be crap for the bay. Another question is about Laser Corrective Eye Surgery. Has anyone had the procedure done? How does it work? How effective is it? I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has tried this procedure.

Poodroo

[webby]

They say its from too much sex, but alas my missus threw the key to the chastity belt away years ago.;D
But seriously have been using them at night for a few years, as it does get frustrating after a dozen prods trying to find the eye of the hook or tying braid to a mono leader.:-[
If you did this in bed, your missus would take it up with the postman. 8-)
Its not only hooks either, the sounder starts adding a few more imagineary fish and bottom structures to the screen, and you think you've found some new territory.:'(
I suppose over the years, i've supplied a fair few species with spec's to see down below, as there's been the odd pair disappear into the drink when learning over the side.
Either fell off the hat, or hanging off the shirt pocket.:-X
So get one of those cords that clip onto your glasses and hang around the neck, yes it may be safer to put them back in a case, but then your forever searching where you put the case.>:(
regards

[2manylures]

Geez you blokes. With a topic such as this ya could have used BIGGER WRITING.:o :o :o

I'm opting for the preservation method.;D

It's a case of have to take the specs these days!:( :( :(

[Scott nthQld]

Poo,

I have to wear glasses all the time, being short sighted (I can see close up but not distance) it is a condition of my drivers license. I've never lost a pair of glasses overboard but I would avoid contact lenses, I tired them once out on the water and the salt makes them really irritating, especially if you happen to cop a bit of spray.

Presciption sunnies maybe your answer during the day and normal glasses for night, but I think wearing corrective lenses for reading may damage your eyesight more? I know for distance the lenses don't interfere with reading, but I'm pretty sure the opposite is true for reading glasses. Just don't go spending too much on a new set of glasses, chances are you'll only have them on for tying knots.

[revs57]

G'day Andrew,

Yep I'm hearin' ya big fella.

for me - I've probably been in denial for a while, but on the odd occasion i have nicked me missus's specks to help find the eye - webby, now i'm being nice!

I guess we're just gonna have to go fishing deeper with heavier gear mate, so we can tie knots in heavy leader cause its the lighter stuff I struggle with these days too.

Mind you its not a pride thing to still be looking with me own eyes, I've been giving Jackie stick about it for years, her being younger and needing glasses an all, but I do realise its coming to an end and I will need to succomb to the four eyed brigade sooner rather than later.

An interesting and serious point in this discussion - I wonder how many people just go to an optomitrist to be sold a pair of glasses to fix a problem when that may not be what is really required? I wonder how many of us get our eye's checkd by an opthalmologist (read eye doctor) first to see (pardon the pun) if there are any other ways forward.

I had an issue a number of years ago, I went to an optometrist who wanted to whack a set of glasses on me, I went to an opthamologist instead who diagnosed me with long sighted stigmatism. I had spend 3 years sitting ithrough lectures and looking a long distance to what the lecturer was scribing on a board 10 meters away or the data on a screen. He gave me a few exercises to do, yes you can get eye exercises (fit little buggers they are) and the problem came good.

I reckon I need to pay him another visit to see where we go next, but this time the problem is up close things getting a bit blurry so it might be time for some magnification.

Sometimes the glasses can mask other problems that are fixable - could be worth thinking about?

Cheers

Rhys

[Outsider1]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I will make the time to go and see the optometrist asap. I guess it may even be on Saturday seeing as the winds are predicted to be crap for the bay. Another question is about Laser Corrective Eye Surgery. Has anyone had the procedure done? How does it work? How effective is it? I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has tried this procedure.

Poodroo

Hi Poodroo,

I had laser correction done about 3 years ago now and loving it.

My history

I started having to wear glasses from my mid 20s, I had typical male short sightedness. It was then a case of new glasses every couple of years. I had prescription sunnies made up and they were good, but did lose the odd pair overboard (hot sweaty face in a Qld summer does not help them stay on!). Bought some Lanyards ("those cords that clip onto your glasses and hang around the neck") and that solved the lost sunnies problem pretty well!

As I got older I developed a stigmatism as well and eventually had to go to graduated lenses. I found them a bit of a bugger out fishing but put up with them for a few years. Good quality prescription sunnies with graduated lenses were starting to get pretty pricey as well ($600 or thereabouts).

I always had my eyes checked every 2 years or so, so asked about the laser option and my optomistrist said I was a candidate and referred me to a Laser Centre. She had had the surgury herself which gave me lots of confidence.

The Surgery

As I said laser correction done about 3 years ago. The procedure is quick and painless. Costs between $4,500 and $7,000 for both eyes depending on what type of surgery is involved. Not covered by Health Funds or Medicare but you can get a 20c in the dollar tax rebate for out of pocket health costs over $1,000 in any year.

My eyes could not be completely corrected because of the stigmatism, so I ended up with one eye for long visison and one for short (it is called Monovision). Works surprisingly well (they give you contacts to try beforehand to simulate the surgery outcome). And finally being able to use off the shelf non prescription sunnies and not having to worry about glasses is such a great freedom after over 20 years of wearing them I can tell you.

Ask your optimistrist all about it at your next visit. They are getting more and more sophisitcated with their surgery techniques all the time. They can correct lots of eye defects now that they would not even touch 5 years ago.

Cheers

Dave

[rando]

Poo
Yes mate its a bugger, My eyes seemed to go all at once,'' one day i could read the phone book on a galloping horse,,,, the next could'nt read a billboard.
And heres the bad news it keeps getting worse.
Like most people here, I use the cheap magnifiers from the chemist on the boat.
Put a strap on like webby says . I reacon the reason its getting harder to catch fish is we all keep providing them with glasses,
I too tie a lot of my knots as much by memory as by sight especially in low light.
I always take two pair of specs on the boat because as sure as S#%7 when a bite is on, or your netting a fish you will stick them on top of your head or in your top pocket,, lean over the side.....gone.

[Reel Nauti]

Poo I got my glasses when I was 43. For a long time prior to that I was struggling a bit with the knot tying, reading the paper and the computer. After getting the specs, I couldn't believe the difference in the clarity of what I was reading or looking at. Well worth a trip to have your eyes assessed.

Dave

[Dirtysanchez]

Same here matey, I went to an Opthomologist, who is an optometrist, and an eye specialist, the GP I see made me coz I am diabetic, and it is part of my drivers licence.
Anyway, I am 41 now, and I only need the ones from the chemist, +1 they are called, and the cheap half sized shit ones for the tinny were $20, the pair I have for work are a bit more fashionable and they were $30
Put a lanyard on them as mentioned, and they can be taken off easily and not lost on the boat, unless you have had too many rums.

I also am losing my hair, and make shrek look like brad pitt, so I don't care too much about how they look, or what people think of me with specs on ;D

[jimbo59]

I lost the sight out of my left eye in a car accident when i was 4(you remember the scooters with the leather brake and hard tyres, straight into a cab at top speed with the leather strap of a brake flapping in the air):) anyway i have had to just use 1 eye most of my life and has been good up untill about 6 years ago now i wear glasses to do most things that require close veiwing.I brought a nav-net to help out at sea cause they got a 10 inch screen that helps,i find my eyesight worse when im tired..jim

[2manylures]

I've personally found my eyes have deteriorated 10 fold since using a computer. Prior to having a pc I didn't need specs. Coincidence, maybe although I doubt it.

[Peter4]

Poodroo,

I too am 45 (nearly 46!) and for fishing and sport over the last 10 years I have used disposable contact lenses. They are brilliant. Easy to insert, cheap as chips (about $2.50 a pair), thin as glad wrap and you can wear them for up to 14 hours at a time and, at the end of the day, you just throw them away.....ask your optometrist about them.

You don't even know they are there until your eyes get tired after 12 hours or so.

I have always worn glasses but find them a hassle in the boat plus they are too expensive to accidently drop into the drink!

Regs

Pete

[Murks]

I don't think that font will help you pood

[nufin_flash]

i've seen at bcf you can buy an accessory that ties knots for you onto the hook, not sure what knot it ties or its limitiations regarding it, havnt had the need to look closer , but check it out next time your at a tackle shop.

as for laser eye surgery , one of my mates was almost blind as a bat , he got it done and got perfect vision afterwoods, his eye went blood red for about a week afterwoods but it cleared up and can see better than most of us now

[Whitto]

G'Day Poodroo......Fact of life I'm afraid...ya start to go down the gurgler around your 40's:(...because of the style of fishing I do I have invested in a pair of purpose built wrap-around Perscription polaroids for allround eye protection and the ability for me to spot bait near the surface:)....will cost around the same price of a very good of sunnies...worth every cent though........There is an Ausfish member that is either an Optometrist or is in the industry...that suggested to me when I needed to upgrade to contact him (can't think of his handle on this forum...I sure if he see's this post he will contact u......can do things cheaper which is always a good thing).......Next thing will be your hearing....WHAT DID U SAY CAN'T HEAR YA...Oh Dear.......Cheers Mate Whitto;D

[fin101]

I have difficulty with the size of some print, not everything just the really small stuff, other than that I can see like a hawk. If you think tying 12lb braid is a problem you ought to try tying on a "midge pupa" , the hook eye is about as small as it gets, this is how I realised my eyes were not what they used to be, I found myself extending my hands away from my face to get focused, ah the ravages of time.. A friend had terrible eyes and ended up with a cornea replacement operation or something like that, he now see's better than he ever did, cost was around $6000.00.:o

[Poodroo]

My goodness I am not alone here am I? It sounds like this has been a good topic because eventually we all face losing our vision to a degree at some stage in our lives if we haven't already started. As mentioned I am sure that computer screens are not helping the cause either. We take our eyes for granted a lot of the time I think. Thanks again everyone for replying to this thread. It's been most helpful and if the Ausfish member who is an Optometrist does read this thread feel free to send me a PM.


Regards,

Poodroo

[FNQCairns]

Hi Poodroo,

I had laser correction done about 3 years ago now and loving it.

My history

I started having to wear glasses from my mid 20s, I had typical male short sightedness. It was then a case of new glasses every couple of years. I had prescription sunnies made up and they were good, but did lose the odd pair overboard (hot sweaty face in a Qld summer does not help them stay on!). Bought some Lanyards ("those cords that clip onto your glasses and hang around the neck") and that solved the lost sunnies problem pretty well!

As I got older I developed a stigmatism as well and eventually had to go to graduated lenses. I found them a bit of a bugger out fishing but put up with them for a few years. Good quality prescription sunnies with graduated lenses were starting to get pretty pricey as well ($600 or thereabouts).

I always had my eyes checked every 2 years or so, so asked about the laser option and my optomistrist said I was a candidate and referred me to a Laser Centre. She had had the surgury herself which gave me lots of confidence.

The Surgery

As I said laser correction done about 3 years ago. The procedure is quick and painless. Costs between $4,500 and $7,000 for both eyes depending on what type of surgery is involved. Not covered by Health Funds or Medicare but you can get a 20c in the dollar tax rebate for out of pocket health costs over $1,000 in any year.

My eyes could not be completely corrected because of the stigmatism, so I ended up with one eye for long visison and one for short (it is called Monovision). Works surprisingly well (they give you contacts to try beforehand to simulate the surgery outcome). And finally being able to use off the shelf non prescription sunnies and not having to worry about glasses is such a great freedom after over 20 years of wearing them I can tell you.

Ask your optimistrist all about it at your next visit. They are getting more and more sophisitcated with their surgery techniques all the time. They can correct lots of eye defects now that they would not even touch 5 years ago.

Cheers

Dave

Well there you go! the things a person stumbles over, my sight has been going downhill slowly, 10 years ago I visited the optometrist for a checkup after a few months of becoming conserned as I was noticing a change from what I considered perfect and he commented most people couldn't tell at the stage I was at, I was able to tell him which eye and how much at the time, for whatever reason i got it right.
Since then I have not visited one again but I do have your mono vision:o, right eye ok for long distance, left eye best for up close, but neither wonderfull at either. With tired eys I need to read my novel in bed with one eye closed.

Possibly if mine had not gone this way, I would all ready have specs:-/.

cheers fnq

[disorderly]

Guys..After reading some of the replies I think I will be driving with one eye on the road and the other firmly on all the half blind drivers around me...http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/undecided.gif

Seriously though poodroo ....just get a pair of specs..once you get used to them you will be wishing you got them earlier.

I wear them all the time ...prescription sunnies in the daytime and normal specs at night....although it can be funny sometimes if I end up at night with only the sunnies on and my glasses are at home or in the car...http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/cool.gif

As for breaking or losing them ..well when you are as blind as me I tend to treat them with kid gloves.I wore contacts for years for reasons of vanity but soon tired of the hassles.http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/wink.gif

Scott

[castlemaine]

Poodroo
I was trying to convince myself that 48, nearly 49, was nothing to be worried about until I saw everyone elses posts.;)
I had a friend who had laser corrective surgery but he was one the very few that had complications and there's was a bit of a panic that he may lose eyesight in one eye, all ended up good though but as he ages he'll still eventually will need reading glasses.
I love my polariods when I'm fishing; so to tie knots or read my sounder, etc I put one of those cheap +1.5 on the bridge of my nose in front of my sunnies. I must look a bit of a dork but it works.
You can get bifocal polarised Maui Jim's in different strengths but around $250-300. I hate to lose one those overboard. Considering bifocal inserts of Fugglies or Barz around $50-70. Has anyone tried them and how have you found them?
Here's to growing older gracefully. Cheers 8-)

[revs57]

G'day Castlemaine,

I've had a set of Barz that I use when riding the harley, had em for 5 years, not a bad lense, but they are a polycarb lense in the pair I have - I do prefer my maui's or makos with a polarised glass lense for fishing - dunno about the bifocal mauis, recon that could give me the irrits not yet haveing to wear magnifiers, maybe one day soon I'll have to though

Cheers

rhys

[castlemaine]

G'day Castlemaine,

I've had a set of Barz that I use when riding the harley, had em for 5 years, not a bad lense, but they are a polycarb lense in the pair I have - I do prefer my maui's or makos with a polarised glass lense for fishing - dunno about the bifocal mauis, recon that could give me the irrits not yet haveing to wear magnifiers, maybe one day soon I'll have to though

Cheers

rhys

Thanks Rhys
I assume your Barz are not the bifocal type. I was wondering if the inserts that are not polarised can be annoying, as they are inserted into the polarised lens. I agree the Maui and Makos are ace. Thanks again8-)

[cajunnsw]

Poodroo,

A visit to the optometrist is definitely in order. In many cases the script is different for each lens ie +2 and +.75, which means the cheapies won't be a great help.

I have prescription spotters and love them, though they are exxy - I definitely use a strap :)

Hope this helps

[jimbo59]

There's a pair of mako's at the sea-mount off port-vila,just ask the crew of yemer to put you onto them>:( ...jim

[Dug]

I LOVE my contact lenses they are just wonderful.

Find a really good optometrist who understands contact lenses I use John Mountford in Brisbane.

I leave mine in for a week at a time and sleep with them in I got sick and tired of losing glasses and getting them covered in salt spray.

Mine are different strengths for my left and right eyes so I can read with my left eye and use my right eye for distance vision.

I would never ever consider laser surgery as I have heard some really bad stories about the risks and results.

[BigE]

Same here poodroo, I started fishing more panoster rigs (can tie em in the dark ) usally tie heaps of them and wind them on a hand line ready to use. Been looking for a couple for white rods for years, cause there easier to see at night but no one seems to make em any more. Guess it all just part of growing old.

BigE

[PinHead]

I have never had a problem with glasses falling off...if they do then they mustn't be fitted properly. I wear mine all the time and don't have that problem.

[cogswell]

I'm an optom, actually, and can't see too much wrong with most of the above advice. The lens in the human eye gets progressively less flexible with age -basically a bad design[even a 15 year old has less focus changing ability than a 5 year old].
If it's just simple presbyopia [reduced ability to change focus] and there is no distance correction factor present then you will get by with over the counter cheapies. There is no quality regulation with these cheap chinese produced products so try before you buy, the quality of the lenses can vary. A really good option is a pair of progressively powered polarised prescription sunnies. Take a week or so to adjust to but then they will be magic. Polarised option a worthwhile thing on water as it significantly reduced the reflected surface glare. Other really important thing to note is that the optom does far more than work out your visual needs. The most important part of the exam is the internal and external health check for things such as glaucoma which are potentially blinding if not detected and treated early. So even if you get by with cheap over the counter spex get your eyes checked every couple of years or so. Covered under medicare so minimal or no out of pocket costs.
Contact lenses are more suited to those with distance vision problems, if you just need near they can be sometimes adapted but needs to be analysed on a case by case basis. Same applies to surgical and laser correction options.

[sparkyice]

in industrial safety catalogs you can buy little plastic stick on bifocal lenses. select your diopter (1x, 1.5x, 2x) and fix them to your sunglasses. works great for me!!:o


http://www.mcmaster.com

keyword- bifocal. page 1773, "magnification inserts for safety glasses"