Category Archives: Line Spools

Little Wonder Brand Gladding Line Spool

Little Wonder Brand Gladding Line Spool

Little Wonder Brand Gladding Line Spool Classic Little Wonder Brand Gladding Fishing Line Spool. Visit the Newest Section of our Website the Fishing Line Section  Fishing Line  We Have some great line spools available by clicking the link below. Vintage Line Spool Little Wonder Brand Gladding Line Spool Gallery

Blue Ribbon Gladding Line Spool

Blue Ribbon Gladding Line Spool

Blue Ribbon Gladding Line Spool The history of the Blue Ribbon Gladding Line Spool. In their 1912 catalog the B. F. Gladding Line Company (est. 1816) of South Otselic New York featured this BLUE RIBBON brand braided silk casting line for the discerning and knowledgeable fisherman as their slogan noted, “For The Man Who Knows”. […]

Black Giant John Pritzlaff Line Spool

Black Giant John Pritzlaff Line Spool

Black Giant John Pritzlaff Line Spool The Black Giant John Pritzlaff Line Spool is a wonderful piece of history. The John Pritzlaff Hardware Company (est. 1850) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin sold Japan silk fishing lines, manufactured for them by the Cortland Line Company (est. 1915) of Cortland, New York. This particular label with the “JPHCO” trademark […]

Gibraltar Fishing Line Spool

Gibraltar Fishing Line Spool

Gibraltar Fishing Line Spool The Gibraltar Fishing Line Spool is a classic piece of fishing tackle ephemera. The firm of G H Mansfield & Co. of Canton Massachusetts had already been producing some of the best hard braided silk fishing lines for 10 years when America celebrated the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876. This historic […]

King Pin Braided Silk Line Spool

King Pin Braided Silk Line Spool

King Pin Braided Silk Line Spool This King Pin Braided Silk Line Spool is a classic fishing collectible. This version of the KING-PIN highest quality braided silk casting line was introduced more than 100 years ago in 1916 by the B. F. Gladding Line Company (est. 1816) of South Otselic, New York boxed in an […]

Venetian Brand Gladding Japan Silk Fishing Line Spool

Venetian Brand Gladding Japan Silk Fishing Line Spool

Venetian Brand Gladding Japan Silk Fishing Line Spool This 1912 Venetian Brand Gladding Japan Silk Fishing Line Spool for lake or stream was manufactured by the B. F. Gladding Line Company (est. 1816) of South Otselic, New York. The label features the ‘new” Gladding trade mark introduced in 1912 in the center and the VENETIAN […]

Black Beauty Brand Sears Roebuck Line Spool

Black Beauty Brand Sears Roebuck Line Spool

Black Beauty Brand Sears Roebuck Line Spool This Black Beauty Brand Sears Roebuck Line Spool is a true classic. In 1936 the Sears Roebuck Company (est 1886) of Chicago Illinois celebrated their 50 years in business with a “Golden Jubilee Sale” in their famous mail-order catalog that had made them America’s largest retail department store. […]

Donegal Brand Gladding Cuttyhunk Irish Linen Line Spool

Donegal Brand Gladding Cuttyhunk Irish Linen Line Spool

Donegal Brand Gladding Cuttyhunk Irish Linen Line Spool The Donegal Brand Gladding Cuttyhunk Irish Linen Line Spool made for bass fishing was introduced in 1912 by the B. F. Gladding Line Company (est 1816) of South Otselic, New York. Gladding continued to make this DONEGAL brand until World War II, however, this version of the […]

Lance Brand Gladding Best Silk Fishing Line Spool

Lance Brand Gladding Best Silk Fishing Line Spool

Lance Brand Gladding Best Silk Fishing Line Spool The Lance Brand Gladding Best Silk Fishing Line Spool history; 85 + years ago this B F Gladding LANCE brand hit the bull’s eye with customers when it was introduced in 1931 as it was offered as a moderately priced but quality Japan silk casting line that […]

Ripple Brand Gladding Line Spool

Ripple Brand Gladding Line Spool

Ripple Brand Gladding Line Spool This 1924  Ripple Brand Gladding Line Spool hard braided non-waterproof Japan silk casting line was manufactured by the B. F. Gladding Line Company (est.1816) of South Otselic, New York. This RIPPLE brand was braided of black and white silk threads that gave it a checked appearance, and the brand name […]

Vintage Airline Brand Newtons Wooden Fishing Line Spool

Vintage Airline Brand Newtons Wooden Fishing Line Spool

Vintage Airline Brand Newtons Wooden Fishing Line Spool This scarce 80 year old unused and like new full spool of the AIRLINE brand braided Nylon casting line, waterproofed by the patented Cravenette method, which was exclusive to its maker, the Newton Line Company (est.1909) of Homer, New York was introduced in 1939 and then produced […]

Boatmans Ashaway Cuttyhunk Twisted Linen Fishing Line Spool

Boatmans Ashaway Cuttyhunk Twisted Linen Fishing Line Spool

Boatmans Ashaway Cuttyhunk Twisted Linen Fishing Line Spool The History of Boatmans Ashaway Cuttyhunk Twisted Linen Fishing Line Spool; Ernest Hemingway owned a 38-foot fishing boat named Pilar. It was acquired in April 1934 from Wheeler Shipbuilding in Brooklyn, New York. It looked very much like the boat on this 1933 Boatmen’s Special Cuttyhunk by […]

HJ Frost Fishing Tackle Catalog 1928

HJ Frost Fishing Tackle Catalog This HJ Frost Fishing Tackle Catalog is a real gem. H.J Frost was a New York fishing tackle jobber or wholesaler as many refer to it as for the first quarter of the 20th century. As with many jobbers, Frost sold fishing tackle and wares under different names, many collectors […]

HH Kiffe Fishing Tackle Catalog

Kiffe Fishing Tackle Catalog

Kiffe Fishing Tackle Catalog This HH Kiffe Fishing Tackle Catalog is a great example of a company that has been in the sporting goods business since the late 1800’s. Being able to look into the window or through the door back into 1925 we get to sample what the antique fishing tackle industry looked like. […]

19th Century Fishing Line

19th Century Fishing Line 19th Century Fishing Line – Fishing lines came in a variety of packaging styles in the late 1800s besides being wound on wooden spools (which were introduced in the late 1870s). It was very common to find lines sold in “HANKS” (wrapped in elongated coils with the final wraps around the […]

Antique Fishing Line Blocks

Tight Lines Tuesday Line Blocks

Antique Fishing Line Blocks by John Etchieson Antique Fishing Line Blocks; 133 years ago in 1884 a fisherman was just as likely to find his fishing lines to be packaged on a wooden frame, called a “line block”, as he was to find them wrapped onto a round wooden spool since those had only been […]

Bear Brand Antique Fly Fishing Line Card

Bear Brand Antique Fly Fishing Line Card

Bear Brand Antique Fly Fishing Line Card This item is a Vintage New and unused Bear Brand Antique Fly Fishing Line Card. This rare silk fly fishing line that was coiled and attached to a cardboard card from 85+ years ago was only made for two years due to the company’s economic conditions caused by […]

Vintage Indian Brand “VACUOIL” Impregnated Japan Silk Enameled Fly Line

Vintage Indian Brand "VACUOIL" Impregnated Japan Silk Enameled Fly Line

Vintage Indian Brand “VACUOIL” Impregnated Japan Silk Enameled Fly Line This unused and like new INDIAN brand “VACUOIL” Impregnated first quality Japan silk enameled fly line coiled on a card that is marked Patent Pending was registered with the U S Patent Office on March 29, 1922 by the manufacturer Cortland Line Company (est. 1915) […]

1937 Hall’s Celebrated Florida Pride Brand Twisted Linen Fishing Line Card

1937 Hall’s Celebrated Florida Pride Brand Twisted Linen Fishing Line Card

1937 Hall’s Celebrated Florida Pride Brand Twisted Linen Fishing Line Card This 1937 Hall’s Celebrated FLORIDA PRIDE brand twisted linen fishing line coiled on a rectangular card was manufactured from the highest quality flax imported from Ireland by the Henry Hall Line Company (est. 1840) of Highland Mills, New York. This line which came in […]

1934 Era Highest Quality Twisted Linen Cuttyhunk Line Card

Highest Quality Twisted Linen Cuttyhunk Line Card

1934 Era Highest Quality Twisted Linen Cuttyhunk Line Card This 1934 era Highest Quality Twisted Linen Cuttyhunk line coiled onto a card was manufactured by the Newton Line Company (est.1909) of Homer New York. This line was the same as Newton’s Princess Pat brand line (but of considerably lower quality), including the same graphic image […]

ILIUM Brand Special Braided Line Coiled Round Card

ILIUM Brand Line Card

ILIUM Brand Special Braided Line Coiled Round Card This extra quality ILIUM brand special braided line coiled on a round card was manufactured from black and white smooth combed cotton threads closely braided by the W. H. (William Henry) Draper & Son Company (est. 1865) of Troy New York. The ILIUM brand was introduced prior […]

Trout Fly Fishing Line Assortment

Tight Lines Tuesday Trout Assortment

Trout Fly Fishing Line Assortment Trout Fly Fishing Line Assortment; Finding a rare brand of fishing line that was made more than 85 years ago is almost impossible for a collector of antique fishing tackle to do these days and then finding the identity of the graphics artist that provided the image for the label […]

Yelo Casting Line

Yelo Casting Line

Yelo Casting Line Yelo Casting Line – YELO KASTER – Bing Crosby (1903 – 1977), the famous singer and actor, was an avid fisherman who loved and participated in the sport every chance he got when he was not recording classics like “White Christmas” or making one of his many “On the Road” series of […]

GH Mansfield Extra Strong

GH Mansfield Extra Strong

GH Mansfield Extra Strong The GH Mansfield Extra Strong; 91 years ago in 1927 the G H Mansfield Company (EST. 1821) of Canton Massachusetts produced this EXTRA STRONG brand of Japan silk casting line that was designed to take the strongest of the fighting Musky fish. To convey the great strength of their fishing line […]

The First Kingfisher Lines

Tight Lines Tuesday The First Kingfisher Lines

The First Kingfisher Lines by John Etchieson Its Tight Lines Tuesday The First Kingfisher Lines ; Between 1890 and 1905 the E J Martin Company Kingfisher brand was granted a registered trade mark by the U S Patent Office for each of three slightly different variations to the artwork that was used on their first […]

Shakespeare Perfect Line Spool

Shakespeare Perfect Line Spool

Shakespeare Perfect Line Spool The history behind the Shakespeare Perfect Line Spool. Shakespeare’s PERFECT brand – In 1909 the William Shakespeare Jr. Company (est. 1897) of Kalamazoo, Michigan introduced a new trade mark for its “Indian Silk” fishing lines with the likeness of the famous Chief Red Cloud (1822 – 1909) of the Oglala Lakota […]

Raven Thos Wood Fishing Line Spool

Raven Thos Wood Fishing Line Spool

Raven Thos Wood Fishing Line Spool The history behind the Raven Thos Wood Fishing Line Spool. This 80 year old rare and unused 1939 RAVEN brand silk casting line with an attractive Art Deco – Streamline Moderne style designed silver and red foil paper label was manufactured by the Thos. H. Wood Company (1880 – […]

Marathon Brand Fishing Line Spool

Marathon Brand Fishing Line Spool

Marathon Brand Fishing Line Spool This Marathon Brand Fishing Line Spool is over 80 years old. This rare full and unused 1939 MARATHON brand braided waterproofed silk bait casting line was produced for just 3 year with silk imported from Japan and spooled onto this mahogany colored wooden line spool by the Marathon Line Company […]

Little Comet Brand Line Spool

Little Comet Brand Line Spool

Little Comet Brand Line Spool This Little Comet Brand Line Spool is over 80 years old. Dating to 1930’s era LITTLE COMET brand pure silk fishing line was made for the Montgomery Ward catalog and retail department stores by the Cortland Line Company of Cortland New York. It is thought that the brand name LITTLE […]

Mayo Brand Cuttyhunk Line Spool

Mayo Brand Cuttyhunk Line Spool

Mayo Brand Cuttyhunk Line Spool This Mayo Brand Cuttyhunk Line Spool is Circa 1930 an introductory year version of the MAYO brand twisted Irish linen Cuttyhunk line was manufactured by the Newton Line Company (est. 1909) of Homer, New York from 1930 through 1941 using 4 label variations with this one being the first. The […]

US Line Rainbow Assortment Antique Wooden Fishing Line Spool

US Line Rainbow Assortment Antique Wooden Fishing Line Spool

US Line Rainbow Assortment Antique Wooden Fishing Line Spool This US Line Rainbow Assortment Antique Wooden Fishing Line Spool is Circa 1926. The RAINBOW ASSORTMENT brand two color braided silk casting line was manufactured by the U. S. Line Company (est. 1926) of Westfield, Massachusetts. The RAINBOW ASSORTMENT brand was manufactured in 25 yard spools […]

Newton’s Admiral Line Antique Wooden Fishing Line Spool

Newton's Admiral Line Antique Wooden Fishing Line Spool

Newton’s Admiral Line Antique Wooden Fishing Line Spool This Newton’s Admiral Line Antique Wooden Fishing Line Spool twisted linen Cuttyhunk line was manufactured by the Newton Line Company (est. 1909) of Homer, New York. This line was only manufactured in 1940 and 1941 during that same period when Admiral Harold R. Stark was the Chief […]

Shore Line Brand Wooden Fishing Line Spool

Shore Line Brand Wooden Fishing Line Spool

Shore Line Brand Wooden Fishing Line Spool This Shore Line Brand Wooden Fishing Line Spool is made of the finest quality Irish linen line was manufactured from 1937 to 1941 by the Cortland Line Company (est. 1915) of Cortland, New York. It was made without the Cortland company name for resale by the retail trade […]

Steelhead Gladding Japan Silk Wooden Line Spool

Steelhead Gladding Japan Silk Wooden Line Spool

Steelhead Gladding Japan Silk Wooden Line Spool This 1912 Steelhead Gladding Japan Silk Wooden Line Spool was made from the highest quality imported Japan silk by the B. F. Gladding Line Company (est. 1816) of South Otselic, New York. The brand honored the fish of the same name and the line was made to catch it. […]

Scarlet Chief Gladding Wooden Fishing Line Spool

Scarlet Chief Gladding Wooden Fishing Line Spool

Scarlet Chief Gladding Wooden Fishing Line Spool This Scarlet Chief Gladding Wooden Fishing Line Spool brand mirror finish fishing line was constructed of a high quality braided Egyptian cotton in dark green color combined with specks of scarlet colored threads. It was introduced in 1912 by the B. F. Gladding Company (est. 1816) of South […]

Alta Line Antique Wooden Fishing Line Spool

Alta Line Antique Wooden Fishing Line Spool

Alta Line Antique Wooden Fishing Line Spool This Alta Line Antique Wooden Fishing Line Spool is 115 year old. Circa 1903 era ALTA brand Linen line for salt or fresh water fishing was hand made from the best flax imported from Ireland and manufactured by the Henry Hall Line Company (est. 1840) of Highland Mills, […]

Mastiff Fishing Line Spool

Mastiff Fishing Line Spool

Mastiff Fishing Line Spool The Mastiff Fishing Line Spool; Shapleigh’s Mastiff Cuttyhunk Linen fishing line was produced by the Hall Line Company of Highland Mills, New York circa 1936 – 1941 for the Shapleigh Hardware Company of St. Louis, Missouri AKA Diamond Mfg. Co. The Art Deco period designed label is typical of the late […]

Winchester Line Spool

Winchester Line Spool

Winchester Line Spool The Winchester Line Spool 97 years ago this silk fishing line with its graphic label of a fish taking a antique fishing lure was introduced to the public by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company (est 1866), a prominent American maker of rifles, guns, knives, tools, and fishing tackle, located in New Haven, […]

Warner Winner Line Spool

Warner Winner Line Spool

Warner Winner Line Spool The Warner Winner Line Spool, WARNER WINNER – More than 80 years ago in 1937 this attractively labeled WARNER WINNER brand silk casting line was sold by the Warner’s Hardware store located at 13 South 6th street in Minneapolis Minnesota. Warner Hardware was founded by Frank R. Warner in 1875 and […]

Perfection US Line Spool

Perfection US Line Spool

Perfection US Line Spool The history behind the Perfection US Line Spool. This is a Vintage Perfection US Line Japan Silk Casting Antique Wooden Line Spool is a classic piece of fishing tackle ephemera. The “PERFECTION” brand was infringed upon by the United States Line Company in 1926 when they attempted to sell their own […]

Mascot US Line Waterproof Japan Silk Casting Line Spool

Mascot US Line Waterproof Japan Silk Casting Line Spool

Mascot US Line Waterproof Japan Silk Casting Line Spool This Mascot US Line Waterproof Japan Silk Casting Line Spool is a classic piece of vintage fishing tackle.  The United States Line Company of Westfield, Massachusetts was established in 1926 and adopted this backside label image of a flying eagle with a fish in its talons […]

Congress Tackle Hall Brand Line Spool

Congress Tackle Hall Brand Line Spool

Congress Tackle Hall Brand Line Spool This Congress Tackle Hall Brand Line Spool is 80 years ago in 1937 this Cuttyhunk linen fishing line was made by the Hall Line Company of Highland Mills, New York for the Supplee-Biddle Hardware Co. of Philadelphia, a huge wholesale dealer in fishing tackle who used the trade mark […]

Ultra Casting Lines Lures & Reels

Tight Lines Tuesday Ultra Casting

Ultra Casting Lines Lures & Reels Ultra Casting Lines Lures & Reels; The fancy cursive script font of the ULTRA CASTING brand is from the first quarter of the 20th century and is both distinctive and a highly sought after brand name by collectors of antique fishing tackle. The ULTRA CASTING brand was introduced about […]

Pflueger 4 Brother Brand Leaders on Card

Pflueger 4 Brother Brand Leaders on Card

Pflueger 4 Brother Brand Leaders on Card Pflueger 4 Brother Brand Leaders on Card; The brand name “4 Brothers” was apparently conceived as a goodwill gesture to mark the reconciliation of E. A. Pflueger (who had departed the Enterprise Mfg. Co. to form his own company in 1906) and his reuniting with his three brothers […]

Moderne Brand Gladding Silk Fishing Line Spool

Moderne Brand Gladding Silk Fishing Line Spool

Moderne Brand Gladding Silk Fishing Line Spool The very rare 1931 Moderne Brand Gladding Silk Fishing Line Spool was made for that one year only by the B. F. Gladding Line Company of South Otselic, New York (est. 1816). The brand name “Moderne”, sometimes termed Art Moderne, is a late type of the Art Deco […]

Vintage Oriental Gladding Japan Silk Line Spool

Vintage Oriental Gladding Japan Silk Line Spool

Vintage Oriental Gladding Japan Silk Line Spool This 1910 – 1934 Vintage Oriental Gladding Japan Silk Line Spool was sold by the wholesale hardware distributor Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett, & Company of Chicago (1882 – 1962) under their “house brand” name REV-O-NOC. This line was manufactured by the B. F. Gladding Line Company of South Otselic, […]

Cormorant Gladding Cuttyhunk Casting Fishing Line Spool

Cormorant Gladding Cuttyhunk Casting Fishing Line Spool

Cormorant Gladding Cuttyhunk Casting Fishing Line Spool This 1930s era Cormorant Gladding Cuttyhunk Casting Fishing Line Spool was a strong fishing line made from the Hemp plant that was also grown to make rope. Manufactured by the Gladding Line Company (est. 1816) of South Otselic, New York, this line featured a gold foil paper label […]

Black Beauty Montgomery Ward Line Spool

Black Beauty Montgomery Ward Line Spool

Black Beauty Montgomery Ward Line Spool The story behind the Black Beauty Montgomery Ward Line Spool. The 1877 best selling book BLACK BEAUTY by Anna Sewell was honored in 1930 by the Montgomery Ward mail order and department store retailer of Chicago, Illinois when they introduced this Japan silk casting line under the BLACK BEAUTY […]

Saxon Gladding Cuttyhunk Line Spool

Saxon Gladding Cuttyhunk Line Spool

Saxon Gladding Cuttyhunk Line Spool This Saxon Gladding Cuttyhunk Line Spool special thread linen Cuttyhunk surf casting line was introduced in 1912 and was manufactured until 1934 with this particular label variation by the B. F. Gladding Line Company (est. 1816) of South Otselic, New York. The SAXON brand was continued with a different label […]

Maniac Brand Gladding Line Spool

Maniac Brand Gladding Line Spool

Maniac Brand Gladding Line Spool The History of the Maniac Brand Gladding Line Spool. The MANIAC brand extra hard braided Japan silk minnow casting line was introduced in 1910 with the early two fish trade mark by the manufacturer B. F. Gladding Line Company (est. 1816) of South Otselic, New York and produced from 1912 […]