Cortland

Cortland, also known as Cortland Line Company, is an American fishing-tackle company whose history began in Cortland, New York, in 1915. Its founder, Ray Smith, was a local clothing merchant and angler. The company’s official history says Smith began experimenting with fishing-line materials and made silk lines using a braiding machine in an upstairs space at his clothing store. As demand grew, the operation moved into part of the Cortland Wagon Company building. The company’s core business is fishing line. Its current range includes freshwater and saltwater fly lines, braided lines for conventional fishing, leaders and tippet materials, backing, and sink-tip extensions. Its website also offers performance fly rods, accessories, and a traditional-style click-pawl reel. Product resources include a line selector, information about line technologies, line-and-leader setup guidance, and fly-line care advice. Cortland’s history emphasizes braiding and line construction as foundations of its expertise. The company states that it developed durable silk fly lines and refined taper construction during its early decades. Its product offering today spans lines and supporting tackle for different waters, fishing styles, and setups. The official site lists United States delivery and international shipping, although the supplied evidence does not specify the company’s full geographic reach, corporate ownership, or headquarters.

Cortland Line Company dates its beginnings to 1915, when Ray Smith started making fishing line in Cortland, New York. Smith was an angler and merchant who owned The Model clothing store. According to the company’s official history, he saw an opportunity in fishing line and experimented with materials, including horsetail hair and raw silk obtained through his clothing connections. He bought a braiding machine and began making silk lines upstairs in the store. While traveling, he distributed samples to anglers and other people he encountered. As demand increased, the operation moved into part of the Cortland Wagon Company building. The company describes construction and braiding knowledge as important to its early development. It reports that, by the 1920s and 1930s, Cortland was known for durable silk fly lines, refined taper construction, and braided-line development. In 1931, Smith filed a patent and trademark for Victor silk fishing line. In 1932, he patented what the company describes as the first braided fishing line. These developments reinforced Cortland’s identity as a maker of fishing line. The official history also records uses of the company’s braiding capabilities beyond fishing. During World War I, Cortland braiders were used to make sutures. During World War II, the company produced parachute cord and bomb cord for the U.S. armed forces. The supplied company-history excerpt does not provide further ownership or corporate-structure details. Cortland’s current website continues to foreground fishing lines, including freshwater and saltwater fly lines and braided lines for conventional fishing. The wider assortment includes leaders, tippet materials, sink-tip extensions, performance fly rods, accessories, and the Retro X Click Reel. The company also provides online resources for selecting, matching, and caring for fishing lines. Its site states that it ships within the United States and internationally.

• 1932

  Patent for braided fishing line

• 1931

  Victor silk fishing line patent and trademark filing

• 1915

  Ray Smith begins making fishing line in Cortland

• Wartime production beyond fishing

A fishing-tackle maker centered on fishing-line construction, offering lines and complementary gear for freshwater, saltwater, and conventional fishing applications.

• Freshwater Fly Lines

  Fly lines designed for rivers, streams, and lakes.

• Saltwater Fly Lines

  Fly lines engineered for demanding saltwater environments.

• Braided Fishing Lines

  Braided lines for conventional fishing applications.

• Retro X Click Reel

  A traditional click-pawl reel with a full-frame design, adjustable click-pawl drag, machined aluminum construction, and a carbon-fiber frame plate.

• Sink Tip Extensions

  PVC-coated level sink tips with a braided nylon multifilament core and dual loops for line and leader connections.

1. 1Cortland Line Companycortlandline.com
2. 2About Cortland – Cortland Line Companycortlandline.com
3. 3Sink Tip – Cortland Line Companycortlandline.com
4. 4Cortland Gift Card – Cortland Line Companycortlandline.com