Cortland

In 1915, Cortland, New York clothing merchant Ray Smith began braiding silk fishing lines above his store, and Cortland Line Company has made line in that same town ever since. Cortland gave anglers the first fly line with a bonded synthetic coating and helped set the grain weight standard we still use to match lines and rods. AvidMax carries Cortland fly lines for trout, bass and saltwater, plus backing, leaders and tippet.

Why fish a Cortland fly line?

Made in Cortland, New York since 1915

Ray Smith started Cortland with silk lines and grew fast enough to move into part of the old Cortland Wagon Company building. During both world wars, its braiders made sutures, parachute cord and other gear for the military. Back on the water, the company launched the 333 series in 1953, the first fly line with a bonded synthetic surface. In 1960, longtime leader Leon Chandler helped establish the grain weight system for matching lines to rods. The 444 series followed in the early 1960s and is still a favorite today. Over a century later, Cortland still designs and makes its lines in Cortland.

Coatings and cores built for real conditions

Cortland tunes every line by pairing the right core with the right coating. Its trout lines use braided nylon multifilament cores that stay supple in cold water, while warm-water and saltwater lines use stiffer monofilament cores. Liquid Crystal lines wrap a clear blend of polyethylene and copolymers around a mono core, finished with a hard PE+ surface for long casts and solid strike detection. The Trout Boss gets a heat-tempered HTX coating that sheds dirt and floats high. Tropic Plus coatings stay slick and firm on the flats when temperatures climb above 70 degrees.

Which Cortland fly line is right for you?

Cortland Liquid Crystal Flats Taper: A clear, mono-core saltwater floating line with a hard PE+ finish, built for stalking bonefish and other flats species where a stealthy presentation matters.
Cortland Liquid Crystal Guide: A seafoam-colored Liquid Crystal floater for everyday saltwater duty, from redfish to bonefish, with low stretch for quick hook sets.
Cortland Trout Boss HTx: A versatile weight-forward trout line built a full size heavy for fast modern rods, with a short front taper that turns over streamers, indicator rigs and dry flies in 2- to 7-weight.
Cortland Finesse Trout II: A long-head trout taper in 2- to 6-weight for soft, quiet presentations on technical dry fly water.
Cortland 444 Classic Peach: A durable, high-floating freshwater line in 2- to 9-weight for dry flies, nymphs and small streamers, and a staple of the Cortland lineup for decades.
Cortland 444 SL: A high-visibility, reduced-friction line with a long head for extended mends and accurate trout presentations at distance, in 3- to 9-weight.
Cortland Backcountry: A Tropic Plus floating line in 6- to 9-weight with an elongated rear taper for quick direction changes on tarpon, snook, redfish and seatrout in the mangroves and on the flats.

Buy your Cortland fly line from AvidMax

Cortland warrants its fly lines against defects in materials and workmanship for one year from purchase, and Cortland rods registered within 30 days carry a limited lifetime warranty for the original owner. Not sure which model fits your water? Our team fishes this gear and can help you match a rod, reel and line. Call 720-836-3619 (9 to 5 MST, Monday to Saturday). Standard shipping is free on orders over $45.