WFS 272 – How to Choose Polarized Sunglasses for Fishing with Costa’s Evan Russell
Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/272
Evan Russell is on the podcast to share the Costa story and help us understand how to find the right pair of glasses. We find out which type of Costa sunglasses is best for salt and fresh water fishing, the technology behind these polarized sunglasses, and how choosing the right sunglasses enhances your outdoor experience.
We dig into the history of Costa, how it was founded and became known for its unique polarized technology – plus the new Untangled Series which are made out of recycled fishing nets.
Show Notes: Polarized Sunglasses for Fly Fishing with Evan Russell
04:30 – Evan talks about when he worked for Bonnier Corporation and Yeti
05:37 – Back in the day, Evan fishes for Redfish in the Mosquito Lagoon
05:53 – Steve Davis was on the podcast at WFS 270
07:00 – Costa was founded in 1983 by Ray Ferguson who was an avid fisherman – 2023 will be Costa’s 40th anniversary
07:27 – In the early 2000s, Costa became known for its 580 glass lense
08:34 – 580 technology cuts out light that doesn’t enhance your optical clarity
09:12 – The chart that explains the color spectrum and how the light is cut out
10:34 – In 2019, Costa merged with Luxottica, the parent company of Ray-Ban, Oakley, and Persol
12:47 – A lot of Costa’s products are made in the USA – mainly California
13:56 – Evan recommends starting with frames when choosing your glasses/sunglasses and explains why
15:00 – Costa’s number 1 selling frame right now is the Reefton
16:09 – Evan picks glass than plastic lense when fishing
17:02 – The Polly (the 580p – plastic) is more impact resistant, lighter, and cheaper
17:41 – Costa’s most popular lenses are amber-based like the green mirror, amber no mirror, copper silver mirror – the green mirror works great for fishing in general
18:13 – Dave used a pair of amber sunglasses for years – Suncloud brand
22:03 – What makes the glasses more expensive
22:40 – Costa recently launched Untangled 2.0 where they use recycled fishing nets as the plastic material for their polarized sunglasses and is one of their cheapest offerings
23:09 – Bureo offers a program where fishermen can turn in their old fishing nets for recycling
24:10 – Evan recommends the 8-based frame
28:22 – Article on how to choose sunglasses
31:30 – Evan talks about the difference between Yeti and Costa in terms of community marketing and their goals
34:59 – Community Marketing explained
39:42 – Evan’s tip for startup companies trying to introduce their brand to the industry
41:03 – Evan commends Chewy.com for its excellent customer service and marketing
48:25 – We’ve done an episode about Canyon Coolers at WFS 211
50:56 – Evan talks about Captains for Clean Waters and the good stuff they have going – Costa sponsors them
55:18 – Evan and the Costa team plans to go to the Bahamas to shoot for their spring products
55:42 – Visit CostaDelmar.com to get a pair of Costa polarized sunglasses
Polarized Sunglasses for Fly Fishing Conclusion with Evan Russell
Evan and I talked about Costa’s best Polarized Sunglasses for Fishing, the technology behind its features, and how the right sunglasses enhance your outdoor experience.
What type of sunglasses do you use for fishing or outdoor activities? Let me know in the comments.
Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/272
