OUR MISSION

For over 100 years Cortland Line has been designing and manufacturing the world’s most innovative fly line and braided fishing line.

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With passion and experience, we remain focused on one thing: fishing. Fishing has been and always will be what drives us to develop the most advanced lines offered today. Located in Cortland, NY – all of our lines are made in the USA. All of our lines share the latest in line technology – many technologies that Cortland itself pioneered for the industry. We hope to see you on the water. Or, better yet, stop by and see us – we’d love to talk fishing.

 

OUR HISTORY 

1915 - Cortland Line Co. opens as a silk fishing line shop run by Ray Smith. Smith later patents a signature fly line.

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1940 - Leon Chandler starts his 51-year career with Cortland Line Co. moving from accounting to eventually becoming vice president.

 

1959 - Ray Smith sells company to Aero Flow Dynamics, but it operates under Cortland Line. Leon Chandler was instrumental in putting Cortland Line and fly fishing on the map and credited with popularizing the sport.

 

1981 - Cortland Line had acquired cord manufacturing knowledge and spun off a business called Cortland Cable Co. Cortland Cable continues to manufacture high-strength synthetic fibers for niche markets in aerospace and medical industries.

 

2015 - Investors considered moving the company overseas to increase profits, but two of the eight investors bought out their partners, committed to keeping Cortland Line in the community where it was founded.

 

Today - The company’s day to day operations are headed by John Wilson, a fly fishing expert from Arkansas. He wants to position Cortland for another great 100 years in fly fishing.