Guys, I beleive some of you like myself fall into the "past middle age barrier" you may be like me suffering from near vision loss. Now personally I have worn specs since I was a teen but know find near sight a real prob and this year have worn vari focals but have struggled at times woth the near vision for tying on flies etc. I am considering contact lenses and would appreciate any advise or passed on experience...

Hi coasty

I don’t think contact lenses will be the answer to your problem of near vision loss that is impeding your fly tying. Opticians will normally set the lens to accommodate a comfortable reading distance.

I read of a good tip by Alan Bithell for overcoming this particular problem that you are experiencing at the fly tying bench. Simple really, Alan suggested that one should visit an optician that is offering one of these deals where you pay for one pair of glasses, and get the second pair free. Have this second free pair made with your prescribed reading lenses set at a closer focal point than that, you read at. Have them made to accommodate the distance you normally find comfortable to tie at. You should now have a pair of glasses that will be specifically made for your fly tying.

Perhaps if Alan sees this he will explain it all better.

Hope this helps

Midge

__________________
"Work is the scourge of the drinking classes"-Oscar Wild

Good advice from Midge there.

I wore contact lenses for 30 years, but needed reading glasses for fly-tying. When I retired I went back to wearing glasses. For fly tying I can get away with wearing no glasses, but Alan Bithell's advice is sound for those folk who can't see at an appropriate distance from the vice.

Hi Coasty do you want them for tying flies at the vice or for when you are fishing? I would advise you to take a trip to your optican and speak to them!
Robert

You can get ready made reading glasses off the shelf in Boots, they range from weak to very strong magnifying types, they look like half lenses IYSWIM. The stronger ones can be used for close up work.

I have an agreement with specsavers its £13.00 per month for their elite contact lens and they are the most comfy lens you can wear,I have them in for 10 hrs a day without discomfort.

For the £13.00 you get 1 pair of monthly lens and 1 bottle of cleaner per month posted in 3 monthly packs.

With contact lens you only get what you pay for and after years of wearing lens the Elite are the best I have used.

Good Luck

Collin

my particular issue is out fishing to tie knots etc. I have vari focals and find the area of near vision they give is to small. The optician recomended contacts and there are various options available just wondered what peoples experiences were. As for tying at the bench I use a large magnifier lamp..

Having arrived at the age where I need one pair of glasses for distance and a different specification for close work - I can sympathise.

I use a pair at 1.5 dioptres for distance - and have a pair of 3.5 dioptre reading glasses hung round the neck - sorting a fankle or changing flies involves switching glasses two or four times - and if the fly's in sharp focus then the rod tip isn't - horrible.

I cannot see how a set of single vision contacts could be any sort of improvement as effectively this is just the same as a pair of glasses - though what you could do is have a set of contacts tuned for distance and a pair of readers (demi-lunette?) for close work - that way you'd just have the one pair of glasses to juggle on and off...

__________________
Plusnet/Madasafish > Liars to the internet community

I am informed that there are now contacts that are vari focals however this is that one lense is distance and one close focus also lenses that are like bifocal specs ,,, Sounds dodgy to me but wondered if anyone had first hand experience

Varifocal Contacts - now that is an interesting set of optical problems - but I 'spose you could put them in upside down if you needed to change a light bulb.

__________________
Plusnet/Madasafish > Liars to the internet community