A good pair of polarized sun glasses are a necessity for any fisherman. Protection from harmful ultra-violet rays, help with spotting fish, and protection from misguided flies are a few of the benefits they give. While there are many different products that help protect your eyewear, from Croakies® to cases, the Marsoop is a unique product that does it all. While wearing glasses, the Marsoop holds them on your head or around your neck. If you take your glasses off, the Marsoop is a soft case that protects them from being scratched. And in either case, if you happen to drop your glasses in the water, the Marsoop will keep them afloat.

Once attached, the Marsoop worked great.

No more worrying about losing your glasses in the water. The Marsoop case is made of neoprene, which floats. We threw a pair of glasses, with a Marsoop attached, into the water and they floated, no problem.

No more remembering a separate case. When you're done wearing your glasses, fold them up as usual. Then, open the Marsoop pouch and pull it inside out around your glasses. There are snaps that complete the case and that's it. We liked the handy clip on the Marsoop case that can be used to secure your glasses to a vest or belt loop.

The Marsoop is a must have for those concerned about losing their glasses, especially near water. Whether you are wearing your glasses, or carrying them, the Marsoop will protect and secure your investment.

Marsoops come in black, blue, red, green, and camo. The neoprene model retails for $9.95. And the non-floating model, made from a poly/lycra cloth, retails for $8.95. US Sport Optics also make Marsoops that fit dive masks, ski-goggles, binoculars, and cameras.

I have problems with sunglasses. If they aren’t slipping off my face to disappear in the depths of a lake or stream, I’m setting them down somewhere and leaving them, never to be found again, at least not by me. When I do manage to keep my hands on a pair for a couple of months, I usually break them or scratch them so badly that they have to be tossed anyway.

That’s what happened in June during a fishing and photo trip on a local stream. After photographing some stoneflies, I placed my new $75.00 sunglasses in the passenger seat of my car while I rigged my fly rod for some fishing, then forgot they were there and tossed my camera bag on top of them breaking the frames. I would have put them in my fly vest pocket, but they constantly work their way out and fall on the ground. I’ve lost more than one pair of nice sunglasses that way.

I was moaning about my damaged sunglasses the next day when Doug Seiler called me to introduce a new product called the Marsoop. The Marsoop is a sunglass retainer that keeps your glasses on your head or around your neck like a Croakie does. When you aren’t wearing them, the Marsoop folds around your sunglasses to form a protective case that prevents scratches and smudges on the lenses. It also has a handy clip on it so you can clip your glasses to a D-ring on your fly vest when you aren’t wearing them. Finally someone was calling with a product I could use. And, the neoprene model floats, so you can retrieve them even if you manage to drop them in the water. A nice touch for the water skier, or clumsy angler.

They also make a Marsoop for diving masks and are working on models for cameras and binoculars.

I took a Marsoops with me to the Bighorn River in June. It worked better than I had imagined. Not only did it keep my glasses snug on my face, I now had a way to protect them from loss and damage when I wasn’t wearing them. That handy little clip works great. After testing them, I promptly ordered a display for my fly shop.

It isn’t often that someone creates a product that’s truly unique and totally functional. Most of us who manage fly shops have to wade through piles of mail and ads that present another product that’s just like the last twenty we looked at. To make matters worse, if it is functional it costs twice as much as the average person will be willing to spend.

But, the Marsoop is different. If you buy any eyeglass retainer and a protective case, your combined costs will far exceed the cost of a Marsoop retainer/case. And, you won’t get the handy clip to attach them to your vest. Suggested retail for the Marsoop is $9.95 for the cloth one and $12.95 for the neoprene model.

You owe it to yourself to try a Marsoop. Stop by your local shop and take a look. If they don’t stock Marsoops, ask them to get a couple in. If all else fails, call 1-888-MARSOOP and order a couple. If you’d like to look into this a little farther, check out their web page.