Cortland Tackle | Fly Lines | Nets | Bags | Angling Direct

During the summer of 1915, Ray Smith, a merchant and avid angler, from Cortland New York, decided he’d had enough of the clothing business. Ray, an expert in braiding technology, designed and produced a unique selection of braided silk fishing lines that soon made Cortland Line Company one of the major players in the fishing line business of the early 1900’s.

When discussing fly line configurations, there are certain terms used. Fly lines embody two materials: the core and the coating. All of Cortland fly lines have a core of braided nylon, braided monofilament or single strand of monofilament. Cortland Line Company is the only fly line company that manufactures its own fly line cores. The core is coated with a PVC in which Cortland impart the taper design. Within the PVC they add hollow glass microspheres (floating) or various density compensating additives (sinking). Variations in the amount of additives used account for some of the differences in the characteristics of our lines, i.e. higher float or faster sink.

Mastering a controlled, effortless cast determines your success in fly fishing. The time-tested formulation of the 444 Classic Fly Line series offers today’ s fly fishing anglers the same supple, glass-smooth finish that made this line, the "Fly Line of the Millenium". The suppleness of the 444 Classic combined with special tapers allow you to keep tight loops and pinpoint casting accuracy.