Fishing Line Spool

Ashaway King Phillip Line Spool

100+ years ago in 1913 the Ashaway Line and Twine Company of Ashaway R. I. produced this high quality pure silk casting line with a handsome graphic label to honor a famous Native American Indian named Chief Metacomet 1638 – 1676 (aka King Philip), a Wampanoag whose tribe sought to live in harmony with the colonists at first. He became sachem (chief) in 1662, after the deaths of his father and older brother. As a leader he took the lead in his tribe’s trade with the colonists. In time, he took the name King Philip to honor the relations between the colonists and his father and even purchased European style apparel in Boston. As sachem for several years, Metacomet witnessed increased contact and encroachment by white settlers. Much of this contact resulted in humiliations of his people. He is known for King Philip’s War (1675-1678.)

Ashaway Lily Pad Line

100 + Years ago the Ashaway Line and Twine Company of Ashaway R. I. introduced this Water-Lily Silk Casting Line in 1914 with an attractive label showing the lily pads and a water lily in bloom. Fishing the lily pads for bass was apparently a popular advertising image in 1914 as the theme was also used on the cover of the Heddon catalog that same year.

Ashaway Surfman’s Casting Line

One of my favorite 100+ year old fishing line spool advertising labels is featured on this 1915 SURFMAN’S CASTING LINE brand linen fishing line made from the flax plant and left in its natural state without any dressing of enamel or oils. I also like the light orange color and the graphic image of the sea gulls hovering in the sky above the waves that are crashing into the surf. For those of you who may not already be aware, the Swastika symbol that appears on the left and right sides of lifebuoy was an American trademark registered with the U S Patent and Trademark office in 1902 by the Ashaway Line and Twine Manufacturing Company. They chose it because it had always represented the positive meaning of “Good Luck” for more than 3000 years in many countries and cultures all around the world. However, the symbol was subsequently dropped from use in 1933 when Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party came to power in Germany and began to corrupt and pervert the Swastika symbol’s true 3000 year old positive meaning of “Good Luck”.

Ashaway Best Bass

90 years ago this Ashaway BEST BASS Twisted Linen Reel Line “for rod fishing fresh or saltwater” was produced by the Ashaway Line and Twine Company of Ashaway R. I. to compete with machine made lines as it was a “Walk Laid” line according to the catalog listing. Thus hand made lines were still being manufactured by Ashaway in 1927.

Ashawy Extra Strength

The Ashaway Line & Twine EXTRA-STRENGTH waterproofed braided silk line was introduced in 1914 and the trade mark image of a “Polecat” was added to the label in 1925 and this particular version of the label is from 1934 when the round space below the name Ashaway was left blank for a year after the Swastika was removed.

Ashaway Tournament

Tournament casting for both accuracy and distance as well as for both fly and bait casting has been a popular sport since the 1860s. In 1884 the first plug-casting tournament competition was held in New York City’s Central Park. Tournament casting clubs were established all over the USA as the sport grew in the early 1900s. Soon thereafter fishing line manufacturers were producing special tournament casting lines that conformed to the rules and regulations of the sport. This very rare spool of Tournament Casting Line was made in 1926 by the Ashaway Line & Twine Company with a photographic image on the label of a contestant in the act of casting.

Ashaway Hemisphere

The Ashaway Line & Twine Company used this label on their line spools from 1937 through 1941. It featured an image of the hemisphere with a fisherman (Zane Grey) deep sea fishing under the displayed rays of a rising sun.

Ashaway Zane Grey

This rare 1934 ZANE GREY (1872-1939) brand hand laid linen line features an image of the world famous angler and author with his record 728 lb tuna that he had caught 10 years earlier in 1924. Zane Grey appeared on Ashaway Line & Twine company labels for 30 years from 1925 to 1955 (16 years beyond his lifetime).

Ashaway Boatmen’s Cuttyhunk

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 Ashaway Line & Twine Company, and since it is well recorded that Hemingway always used the Ashaway brand for his fishing, I have often wondered if this fishing line label might have influenced his purchase of the Pilar.

Winchester

Another favorite from my antique fishing tackle collection – 96 years ago this silk fishing line with its graphic label of a fish taking a fishing lure was introduced to the public by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, a prominent American maker of rifles, guns, knives, tools, and fishing tackle, located in New Haven, Connecticut. These fishing lines were made by the Hall Line Company of Highland Mills, New York for Winchester from 1921 until 1930 and are quite rare to find today.

Western King

85 years ago in 1932 this WESTERN KING brand waterproof silk casting line with its colorful graphic label of a man catching a leaping bass from his boat was sold by Schuster’s department store of Milwaukee Wisconsin (1884 -1962) and was manufactured for them by the Newton Line Company of Homer New York who used this same label image on their own SILKALINE brand fishing lines.

Vampire

More than 75 years ago in the Fall of 1939 this submarine VAMPIRE brand waterproofed supreme quality silk bait casting line with its attractive octagon shaped label with a flying black bat image was offered for sale according to the label by the Cohantic Line Company of Philadelphia, PA. However, you would not have found the Cohantic Line Company of Philadelphia, PA in any telephone or business directory, because it was not a real company and did not manufacture any fishing lines. The name COHANTIC was instead a “house brand” that had been used for fishing lines by the Edw. K. Tryon Company of Philadelphia, PA. since 1893 and a trade mark owned by them and registered with the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office. Tryon also did not manufacture this fishing line nor any others. All of their fishing lines with the COHANTIC name were made for them by others. In this case, the “submarine” VAMPIRE was made for them by the Cortland Line Company of Cortland New York which had been making fishing lines since 1915 and introduced their own SUBMARINE brand version of this same line also in 1939. Unfortunately both versions of this rare line was short lived as the outbreak of WWII brought an end to their production and they were never reintroduced following the end of the war.

Trout Assortment Line Spool

This 90 year old Trout Assortment brand silk fishing line with its colorful graphic label of a speckled ttrout was produced by the Newton Line Company circa 1927.

Tennessee Lines

Tennessee Lines established in the late 1800s in Elizabethton Tennessee was owned and controlled by the Ashaway Line and Twine Company in Ashaway R.I. They used this attractive image on their fishing line spool labels during the 1930s.

Sunset Line Congo

The Sunset Line & Twine Company of San Francisco California (1932 -1941) and Petaluma California (1941 – 2006) produced this very rare 80 + year old CONGO brand pure Japan silk fishing line, with its colorful foil label image of an African vendor transporting a basket of fruit to market on his head, from 1932 until it was discontinued in 1937.

Spartan Casting Line Spool

Spartans were one of the most feared military forces in the Greek world. At the height of Sparta’s power – between the 6th and 4th centuries BC – it was commonly accepted that “one Spartan was worth several men of any other state.” Likewise, 90 years ago this 1927 spool of Spartan fishing line manufactured by G H Mansfield of Canton, Massachusetts was considered to be stronger and more durable than any other fishing line.

Sears Black Hawk Line Spool

This 80 year old BLACK HAWK brand Japan silk line spool from 1937 was made for Sears Roebuck & Co. of Chicago Illinois by the Newton Line Company of Homer New York. It pays tribute to the famous warrior Chief Black Hawk who was an important figure in the history of Illinois. While these may occasionally be seen today in some antique fishing tackle collections in either the orange label or green label versions, the elusive red label version shown here is considered extremely rare to find since there are less than a handful known to survive today.

SA Jones Sea Play Line Spool

Another of my favorite fishing line labels with a colorful and graphic image of a leaping tarpon is this one from 1930 made by the S. A. Jones Company of Norwich, New York which was founded by Samuel A. Jones in 1930 and continued in business under his name until it was sold to Frank Zuber in 1939. Frank Zuber, who was to later become the mayor of Norwich, New York changed the company name in 1939 to the Norwich Line Company. Prior to establishing his own company, Samuel A. Jones had been the Vice President of the Newton Line Company from 1920 – 1930.

Horrocks Ibbotson Rainbow Line Pre 1925

This Pre 1925 RAINBOW Silk Fish Line sold by Horrocks Ibbotson Company of Utica New York has a subtle array of all the colors under the rainbow in a beautiful lithographic image on the label showing a trout taking a fly.

Oregon Line

This very rare OREGON brand hard braided cotton fishing line was made by the Cortland Line Company of Cortland New York in the early to late 1920s. While this was an economy priced short length spool of bass fishing line at only 40 feet, it featured an attractive graphic advertising label image showing two fishermen in a distant canoe and a nice size bass in the foreground being caught. This very same art image was also used on another spool label in the early to late 1920s for a silk line produced by Cortland which enabled me to identify the maker and approximate age of this OREGON brand.

Newtons Ace

The ACE brand fishing line was invented by James B. Frye, a young graduate engineer of Cornell University for the Newton Line Company of Homer New York in 1925 and it was considered the most technologically advanced braided fishing line that had ever been manufactured since it consisted of 51 separate silk threads (each individually waterproofed) and then specially braided together to form a very thin but extremely strong line that was perfectly round. Thus, it was accurately advertised as the “Smoothest-Smallest-Strongest” fishing line ever made. Then beginning in 1931 the ACE was spooled onto a new wooden line spool that was enveloped inside of a marbled pearl like celluloid covering named the “Mother-O-Pearl” spool that gave it the look of a luxury item. This ACE represented the height of fishing line technology combined with the height of attractive packaging. It remained the BEST quality silk fishing line that was ever manufactured in the USA for more than a decade until WWII brought an end to trade with Japan for their raw silk and thus the end of the 50 year long “Golden Age” of silk fishing lines made in America.

Kennedys Moccasin Fishing Line Spool

This 80 year old 1937 Kennedy’s MOCCASIN brand casting line was offered by the Kennedy Bros. Arms Company (1867 – 1962) Sporting Goods of St. Paul, Minn.

Horrocks Ibbotson Leaping Bass

85 years ago in 1932 Horrocks Ibbotson started using this royal blue color on their wooden spools of fishing lines like for this LEAPING BASS brand silk casting line. Prior to 1932 their spools were painted black enamel.

Horrocks Ibbotson Continental

85 years ago in 1932 the HORROCKS – IBBOTSON COMPANY of Utica New York honored America’s first Army with this fishing line spool label and brand name.
The Continental Army was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in their revolt against the rule of Great Britain. The Continental Army was supplemented by local militias and troops that remained under control of the individual states or were otherwise independent. General George Washington was the commander-in-chief of the army throughout the war.

Horrocks Ibbotson Brown Ace Line

85 years ago this rare 1930-1931 America Line Company BROWN ACE brand “Long Distance Casting” line was created by Ed Ibbotson of the Horrocks – Ibbotson Company after he purchased the Pawtucket Braided Line Company of Pawtucket R. I and moved it to Utica New York to make fishing lines for H-I. The colorful and patriotic theme label features an American Bald Eagle sitting above a world globe with North America clearly visible. The Bald Eagle is holding a fish in its beak and is holding a waving banner in its talons. The banner reads: “American Lines For American Waters”.

Horrocks Ibbotson Blackstone Spool

This is one the rarest and earliest known label version of the BLACKSTONE made by Horrocks Ibbotson Company in 1931 at their new fishing line factory in Utica New York after the machinery from the Pawtucket Braided Line Company had been moved there from Pawtucket R. I. in 1930 following the purchase by Ed Ibbotson of that fishing line manufacturing facility in 1928 from the widow Mrs. A. G. Hazard, whose husband had established it in 1888. This line spool with its image of a leaping bass represents one of those rare and historic examples of Horrocks – Ibbotson’s first foray into the fishing line manufacturing business, so that they would no longer be dependent on other fishing line manufacturers to supply them with their H. I. brands of fishing lines.

GH Mansfield Extra Strong Line Spool

90 years ago in 1927 the G H Mansfield Company 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 G H Mansfield used a graphic image on the label of a man literally tearing a tree stump apart with the strength of a Hercules from Greek mythology or a Samson from the Bible. This rare line was short lived however as it was not offered in the 1929 catalog nor after and is considered quite difficult to find today, especially in unused condition.

GH Mansfield Biltwell

90 years ago in 1927 the G. H. Mansfield Company offered the BILTWELL Bait Casting Line with an attractive label featuring one of America’s dreadnought battleships that were easily recognizable due to their two lattice masts, sometimes called “cage masts”, which were favored for their light weight since a ship should not be top heavy. During WW I the dreadnought fleet of USS battleships (Delaware, Florida, Utah, Wyoming, Arkansas, New York, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma and Arizona) served with the Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet after US entry into the war, so this fishing line label image would have signified strength as well as victory and patriotism to the American fishermen of the late 1920s.

Firestone Silver Treasure

Another 75 + year old fishing tackle treasure – In the 1930s and 1940s the Firestone Tire Company of Akron Ohio sold a lot more than just tires. Their tire and auto supply stores also carried everything from radios and appliances to sporting goods too. Among the rarest of the Firestone fishing tackle items to find today are the original silk fishing lines like this Silver Treasure brand that was made exclusively for Firestone by the Newton Line Company for only 3 years: 1939, 1940, and 1941.

GH Mansfield Dependon

90 years ago a fisherman could depend on the DEPENDON brand fishing line manufactured by the G H Mansfield Company (est 1866) The advertising label image of a man wearing an 1889 four dent peak campaign / field hat in a canoe landing a fish with his long-handled net was one that all outdoors men in 1927 could easily relate to, especially if they had ridden with Teddy Roosevelt up San Juan Hill, ever been a Boy Scout, or were a veteran of the “Great War” in Europe just 10 years earlier.

David Harum Silk Casting

David Harum; A Story of American Life was a best-selling novel of 1899 by Edward Noyes Westcott about a small town (Homer, New York) banker and horse trader, that went on to become a stage play, a 1934 movie staring Will Rogers, a radio series from 1936 – 1951, and this David Harum brand of silk fishing line, also produced in the 1930s, by the Newton Line Company of Homer, New York with a label featuring the central fictional character from the popular story in his horse drawn carriage.

Cortland Tarpon

One of my favorite saltwater fishing line paper label advertisements is this colorful and graphic one of a leaping tarpon that occupies the back side of my Cortland Line Company orange line spool introduced 85 years ago in 1932. That was the same year that the Texas Tarpon Rodeo, (the first fishing tournament held in the Gulf of Mexico) was held at Port Aransas, and so it is quite possible some of the contestants used this same newly introduced Cortland brand of linen saltwater line to catch their tarpon there in 1932.

Hall Line Congress

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 “Congress” with an arrow through the body of a fish from 1914-1960

Black Jack

This early 1930s BLCK JACK brand silk fishing line gained its name at the same time as the game. While “21” had been played since about 1700 in France it was another event in the history of gambling that gave rise to the name. The game was still termed ‘21’ when it gained popularity in Nevada in 1931 as the State first chose to make gambling legal. To draw more people to the game, some casinos then offered a special bet: A hand featuring either of the black jacks (the Jack of Spades or that of Clubs) plus the Ace of Spades would pay 10-to-1 odds on the lucky player’s bet. Although casinos later discontinued this peculiar payout, the name ‘blackjack’ or ‘black jack’ remained, as the game is known today. The Newton Line Company made money selling fishing line using the new name BLACK JACK taken from the new gambling game of the 1930s and never had to pay any royalty to use it.

GH Mansfield Black Dragon

90 years ago in 1927 this Black Dragon brand fishing line was a popular seller according to the G H Mansfield Company’s catalog listing that also noted not a single spool had ever been returned as defective. The attractive label image featured a male Eastern Amberwing Dragonfly (Perithemis tenera) with its bright yellow wings. Few of these spools of fishing line have survived in this condition these past 90 years making this one of the truly rare ones.

Bevin & Wilcox Ranger

This RANGER brand fishing line introduced 90+ years ago in 1926 by the Bevin & Wilcox Line Company of East Hampton, Connecticut pays tribute to the mounted rangers of the National Park Service which had been created 10 years earlier. These mounted rangers served to guide tourists and protect our national parks from poachers.

Beck & Greg Hardware Dixie

Beck & Gregg Hardware Company of Atlanta Georgia, established in 1866, featured their company trademark (a bale of cotton with the word “DIXIE”) on the labels of their silk fishing lines like this one from 85 years ago that still looks new today.

Beacon Cuttyhunk

This 1932 – 1937 era BEACON brand Cuttyhunk (Irish linen fish line) with its graphic image of a lighthouse pays tribute to Cuttyhunk Island Massachusetts and the Cuttyhunk lighthouse built there in 1915. The name “Cuttyhunk” as it is generically used to describe any and all linen fish lines can trace its beginning to 1864 when 7 prominent New York multi-millionaire industrialist built their private members-only Cuttyhunk Fishing Club there to hold lavish retreats to fish for the Island’s abundant stripped bass using the very early hand made or hand laid Irish linen fish lines.

Kingfisher

127 years ago in 1890 Elisha J. Martin introduced this first version of his KINGFISHER silk fishing line which is also my oldest fishing line spool label in my antique fishing tackle collection and the only known surviving example in the world.

Kingfisher

107 years ago in 1910 the E J Martin’s Sons company of Rockville Connecticut introduced color into the image and labels of their famous Kingfisher brand of silk fishing lines. That very first year, and for only one year their spools were painted not black but gold, and for that one year only the border around the bird was green in color instead of red (it remained red for more than 30 years after) There are only a handful of the green border Kingfisher labels still in existence today making this spool of fishing line one of the very rarest.

Newton’s Grover Cleveland

90+ years ago in 1925 the Newton Line Company of Homer New York honored American President Grover Cleveland (1837 -1908) an avid fisherman noted for using tarred Cuttyhunk lines for the striped bass at Buzzards Bay in Bourne, Massachusetts where he owned the Gray Gables estate and spent his summers The photo image used by Newton on this extremely rare fishing line spool label was one of several photographs taken of Grover Cleveland on February 3 1903 by Frederick Gutekunst (1831 -1917) at his studio located at 712 Arch St. Philadelphia PA. Gutekunst was possibly the most famous American photographer of his day and was subsequently labeled the “Dean of American Photographers”.

Voedisch Brothers Vee Bee Daisy

The Voedisch Brothers Company (circa 1904 – 1974) was a Chicago based wholesale and retail distributor of fishing tackle including both lures and lines sold under the “Vee – Bee” brand. The DAISY silk casting line was offered for sale from the early 1920s until about 1940. This particular label version was used more than 80 years ago from 1930 – 1936 and is considered to be pretty rare to find today.

Fred Arbogast Line Spool

Fred Arbogast (1894 – 1947) made fishing line too – Among the collectors of antique and collectible fishing tackle the name Fred Arbogast is well known. Fred Arbogast was one of the true pioneers of the fishing lure industry. As with so many who enter the lure business, it began as a hobby. Arbogast began by carving lures for himself and friends while employed by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. As his lures began to become popular with area anglers, some of the local tackle shops began asking if they could buy them to sell in their stores. Soon after, Arbogast became aware that he was really on to something. Armed with this new-found popularity and confidence in his lures, he resigned from Goodyear and decided to enter the lure business in earnest…that was in 1926. Two years later, the Fred Arbogast Company was officially formed. Fred’s famous lures like the Jitterbug, Tin Liz, Hawaiian Wiggler, and his other lures can still be found with relative ease today. However what cannot be found so easily is the fishing line that Fred (a national tournament casting champion) personally designed and had made for him by the G H Mansfield firm of Canton Massachusetts in 1929 and 1930. Less than a half dozen spools of the “Fred Arbogast Waterproofed Silk Casting Line” are known to have survived these past 85+ years making it one of the rarest items in my antique fishing tackle collection.

Warner Winner

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 sold hunting, fishing, and other sporting goods in addition to hardware for more than 100 years. The “Mottled P & S” (Pepper & Salt) referenced at the top of the label indicated the line was a blend of both black and white silk threads that had been braided together to form the “mottled” color.

Big Bill Silver Dollar

This black and silver line spool label branded as “Silver Dollar” was made from about 1937 until 1941 when the “supreme Japan silk” it was made from was no longer available to USA manufacturers following the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
One might rightfully assume from the label that this line was made by the Big Bill Tackle Co. However, the Big Bill Tackle Co. was not actually a real company, but was instead a “house brand” trade mark name that was owned and used for marketing purposes by the Marshall Wells Hardware Co. of Duluth MN which had started in business 44 years earlier in 1893.
In addition to using this “Big Bill” house brand name of a non-existent company, Marshall Wells also used an appropriate house brand logo of a “big billed” Pelican with his long beak and large throat pouch prominently on display. The pelican logo was always present on all of their nouse brand fishing line labels, as well as on all of their other fishing tackle items sold under the “Big Bill” name.
The actual manufacturer of this line was, according to salvaged company records, the Hall Line Company of Highland Mills, New York who had made this and other custom made lines for Marshall Wells since the early 1900s.

Simmons Tackle

Edward Campbell Simmons (1839 – 1920) founded the famous and nationally successful St. Louis based Simmons Hardware Company (1874 – 1940) and began offering fishing tackle in their catalogs at least as early as 1879. Simmons had a U S Patent and Trademark Office registered company motto – “The Recollection of Quality Remains Long after the Price is Forgotten” which was incorporated into the “S” letter logo on the label of this “Simmons Dependable Tackle” silk fishing line spool (a rare Celluloid covered wooden spool that has a black pearl luster finish) that was made from 1931 – 1939 for the Simmons Hardware company by the Newton Line company of Homer, New York. Very few of these silk line spools from 75+ years ago have survived and are considered to be quite rare today.

Gladding Imps

This 80 year old line spool label features three little IMPS fishing which helps explain the brand name. For those unfamiliar with the IMP – An imp is a mythological being similar to a fairy or goblin, frequently described in folklore and superstition as being devilishly mischievous and fond of playing pranks and misleading people.

This line advertised as “a high quality silk casting line that will stand much abuse” was manufactured in 1937 by the Gladding Line Company of Otselic, New York. It was a moderately priced silk line made for those customers seeking a bargain priced line from the retail trade of sporting goods, hardware, and department stores and it was offered for 5 years from 1937 until 1941 when it was discontinued.

SA Jones Celluloid

The Samuel A Jones Line Company of Norwich New York produced the rare Celluloid covered wooden spools for their quality silk fishing lines sometime between 1931 and 1938 as they held the patents and equipment to manufacture these unique spools. The spools were produced in a variety of pearl finish solid colors. However, this one of a kind Celluloid covered wooden spool has both amber and dark chocolate colored flecks that suggest it was an end of the day production run in which batches of the two different colors of Celluloid were mixed together in order to have enough material to make up this spool. Of all of the Celluloid covered wood spools I have ever seen in 35 years, I have never seen another one with multiple colors like this, and thus consider it to be extremely rare.

Texas Big Giant

90+ years ago this rare “LONE STAR BRAND” Japan silk fishing line known as the “TEXAS BIG GIANT” was offered for sale in the 1924-1925 issue of the Horrocks Ibbotson fishing tackle catalog. Very few of these “LONE STAR BRAND” line spools are known to still exist today and naturally being a native Texan I just had to add this one to my collections.

South Bend 50 Cent Oreno

Here is a short lived 1935 – 1936 South Bend 50 Cent-Oreno – This rare burgundy and green colored label only existed for 2 years and was then replaced with a modern art deco designed label in 1937. This attractive label featured the famous artist Louis A Paeth’s illustration of the South Bend leaping bass with the 50 Cent-Oreno brand name printed across the middle banner. This economy version of South Bend’s silk line was made less expensive, in part, because the length of the line on the spool was only 25 yards instead of the industry standard 50 yard length. Very few of these 50 Cent-Oreno spools (especially in unused and new condition) exist today from when they were last made 80+ years ago.

Catalina Special

Catalina Special RED THREAD LINE – 91 years ago in 1926 this Catalina Special RED THREAD LINE was custom made to the specifications of the World famous TUNA CLUB of Avalon Bay, Santa Catalina Island, California. The Tuna Club’s illustrious history dating back to its establishment in 1898 includes a number of famous anglers in its highly exclusive membership, such as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, movie director Cecil B. DeMille, actors Charlie Chaplin, Bing Crosby and Stan Laurel, writer Zane Grey and United States Presidents Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover. This very rare fishing line (1 of only 2 known still surviving today) was made by the Cortland Line Company of Cortland New York for the New York Hardware Trading Company (established in 1910) which despite its geographically designated name was never actually located in New York at all, but rather in Los Angeles California which was much closer to Catalina Island and the Tuna Club, and their World famous angling clients for whom this fishing line was custom made.

Shakespeare Hercules

This 100+ year old Shakespeare Indian Silk Casting Line branded the HERCULES was introduced in 1909 and produced with this colorful lithographic label for just one year making it one of the most difficult to find and one of the very rarest of Shakespeare’s antique fishing lines in collections today.

Shakespeare Favorite

In 1909 the William Shakespeare Jr. Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan, makers of fine fishing tackle, introduced their new “INDIAN” trademark and Indian head logo that would be used for the next 14 years to sell their imported Japan silk fishing lines they manufactured. This FAVORITE brand has the introductory label that was used for that 1st year only and it is one of less than a half dozen that are known to still be surviving in antique fishing tackle collections today and so it is considered to be extremely rare.

Newton’s Line Pikie

This 75 + year old PIKIE brand silk casting line with its uniquely shaped 10 sided label and a gold embossed fish came from the Newton Line Company of Homer, New York and was made for just three years: 1939,1940, and 1941.

TH Wood Raven

78 years ago DuPont introduced their newly man-made plastic called NYLON to the public at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. Nylon was first used to make ladies hosiery to replace silk stocking. Then tooth brush bristles, then fishing lines to replace silk lines. The makers of the first Nylon fishing lines were required under their licensing agreement to include DuPont’s name on the labels during the years 1939, 1940, and 1941. This RAVEN brand made by the T H Wood Company of South Coventry, Connecticut was one of the first fishing lines made during that 3 year period of Nylon’s introduction to fishermen.

Abbey & Imbrie Amateur

One of my favorite fishing line spool labels is this extremely rare 95 year old one from 1912 branded THE AMATEUR CASTING LINE with graphic art by the famous American sporting artist Oliver Kemp (1887 – 1934) The Empire City Tackle Company was based in New York, but it was not actually a real company. It was instead a trade mark name owned and used by Abbey & Imbrie Company of New York for the firm’s lower grade economy priced fishing tackle. Abbey & Imbrie was created in 1875 when L H Abbey and C F Imbrie merged with the Andrew Clerk & Company, and was then later acquired by the Horrocks & Ibbotson company about 1930. The Empire City brand name dates to at least the 1884 catalog, and possibly earlier and was used continuously into the 1920s.

Newton’s Princess Pat

Another of my favorites from my collection is this 1933 – 1934 Princess Pat brand of “Non-Kink Linen” line manufactured by the Newton Line Company of Homer New York. What makes this one so special is that it is on an extremely rare turquoise color wooden spool with an equally rare label that features a silver foil embossed image of a beautiful leaping Tarpon fish also known as the “Silver King” of the saltwater species.

Hall Line Shapleigh’s Mastiff

The 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 1930s, and the choice of a Mastiff dog as the logo image conveyed strength. This behemoth breed often outweighs a grown man, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). Not only are these colossal canines super strong, but their heritage dates back thousands of years. It has been said: “What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him”.

Western Auto

This WESTERN AUTO STORES (1909 – 1961) fishing line spool label with a leaping bass image was used from 1936 – 1941 on the back side of their VULCAN brand Japan silk fishing lines made for them by the Cortland Line Company of Cortland New York. The company’s slogan “A National Institution” was pretty much true in the late 1930s as this firm had grown rapidly as the number of cars produced had grown and eventually it had more than 5200 store locations across America.

Devega

Devega Sporting Goods (1879 – 1963) was a popular and successful sporting goods business that operated 27 stores in the metropolitan New York City area by 1932 when this Art Deco label design was first used on the backside of Japan silk fishing lines made for the firm by others.

Newton Plum Princess Pat

This plum colored wooden spool with green border paper label and colorful image of a leaping Tarpon was the 1930-1931 introductory spool used for the new PRINCESS PAT Cuttyhunk Linen line made by the Newton Line Company of Homer, New York.

Kresge Ace

Two great brands were combined on this label to sell the best waterproofed silk casting line in its time. S S Kresge established his 5 &10¢ stores in 1899 and D D Newton established his Newton Line Company (that invented the ACE) 10 years later in 1909. Together they promoted and sold this “Japan Waterproof Silk Casting Line” at a special discounted price to fishermen using this particular Art Deco designed co-branded label during those middle years of America’s Great Depression circa 1932- 1937.

Seminole Tiger Tail

This “SEMINOLE” brand silk fishing line manufactured 88 years ago in 1929 by the G H Mansfield company (1866 – 1933) honors both the Seminole tribe of Florida and the memory of Chief Tiger Tail aka Thlocklo Tustenuggee (1790 – 1882) a native American Indian who was one of the most prominent Seminole leaders in the Second Seminole War (1838 – 1842).

Newton’s Silver Lake

This SILVER LAKE pure Japan silk hard braid fishing line was manufactured circa 1937 by the Newton Line Company of Homer, New York for the Bush – Caldwell Company (hardware & sporting goods) of Little Rock, Arkansas (circa 1924 – 1965).

Gladding Lance Bulls Eye

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 was both strong and durable. It remained popular with fishermen throughout the decade of the 1930s until it was finally discontinued in 1941.

Laguna

Most people recognize the Lone Cypress. It is that famous tree that clings to its sea worn granite pedestal and stands proudly against the ocean winds that sweep along the famous 17-mile drive through Pebble Beach California. It may well be the most photographed tree in the world. It’s a marketing tool, a trademark, a Western icon. It is to the California coast what the Pyramids are to Egypt or the Eiffel tower is to Paris. This symbolic lone tree representing rugged individualism also captured and inspired the imagination of an artist creating a label for a fishing line spool more than 80 years ago. This particular LAGUNA brand line spool from 1936, like the tree, is also the lone surviving example known to exist today and it is presented here for all to enjoy.

Shakespeare Indian Silk

Here in unused condition is one of the original 1909 Shakespeare’s Indian Silk Lines of the SERVICE brand with a spectacular lithographic paper label image of a bass diving deep into the water trying to escape the red fishing lure that has just hooked him.

Air Flight

This time 90 years ago in the Fall of 1927 the Newton Line Company’s new AIR-FLIGHT brand name would have captured the imagination and attention of fishermen all across the USA. That was because everyone was still talking about the solo “air flight” across the Atlantic (New York – Paris) by Charles Lindbergh that had occurred just six months earlier on May 21, 1927. Add to that popular and catchy brand name an image on the label of an aerodynamic looking fish streaking through the water that was painted by artist Charles Otis Wilson and the Newton Line Company was sure they had a combination that would help them sell more of their Japan silk casting line. I feel sure that Charles Lindbergh himself might even have selected this fishing line to use if he had seen it on the shelf of his favorite sporting goods store in 1927.

Miracle

85 years ago on August 31 1932 – A total solar eclipse was visible from northern Canada through northeastern Vermont, New Hampshire, southwestern Maine and the Capes of Massachusetts. This event was seen by millions of people across New England despite cloudy skies according to the New York Times newspaper of September 1, 1932. Exactly one year later the Newton Line Company of Homer New York introduced their new sales catalog that featured the “new” MIRACLE brand fishing line with a “new” Art Deco designed label featuring that famous total solar eclipse event (while it was in the process of occurring) with a red Sun surrounded with some sun rays and a black Moon covering part of the Sun in this “miracle” event of the sky from one year earlier. To add to the appeal of this Japan silk casting line’s new label, Newton spooled the line onto one of its new dark grey marbled Celluloid covered wooden spools to complete the attractive package that was intended to both commemorate the event and to help boost sales during America’s Great Depression.

Black Raven

Fishing line for Halloween – The Raven is as old as mankind and has been in our recorded history for thousands of years. In some Western traditions, ravens have long been considered to be birds of ill omen, death and evil in general, in part because of the negative symbolism of their all-black plumage and the eating of carrion. As in traditional mythology and folklore, the common raven features frequently in writings such as the works of William Shakespeare, and, perhaps most famously, in the poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. The Raven has been used as a symbol and brand name for 100s of products including this BLACK RAVEN brand extra choice Japan silk casting line made by the Sunset Line and Twine Company of San Francisco 80 years ago in 1937.

Hall Line Badger

Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae, which also includes the otters, polecats, weasels, and wolverines. The Badger has been popular in American culture as a brand name or mascot and is most frequently associated with Wisconsin ie. “The Badger State” This particular 80 year old Badger fishing line came from a 1937 Hall Line Company (Highland Mills, N. Y.) salesman’s sample display kit and was manufactured for the Diamond Mfg. Co. (house brand name) of the Shapleigh Hardware company of St. Louis, Missouri.

Newtons Princess Pat Variant

The Newton’s Princess Pat non-kink linen line was made with 6 different label variations between 1930 – 1940 and all but one of those had a saltwater fish prominently featured on the label. That one exception was this honeydew melon green colored Celluloid covered wooden spool with a purple and gold leaf foil paper label featuring a pair of three leaf clover. The Princess Pat line was made from Irish linen which would explain Newton’s use of the image of the symbolic three leaf clover on the label that appeared for only one year – 1933.

Firestone Ocean Breeze

In the 1930s and 1940s the Firestone Tire Company of Akron Ohio sold a lot more than just tires. Their tire and auto supply stores also carried everything from radios and appliances to sporting goods too. Among the rarest of the Firestone fishing tackle items to find today are the original spools of fishing lines like this Ocean Breeze brand linen line that was made for Firestone by the Newton Line Company circa 1937 – 1942.

Sears WLS

Did you know that Sears Roebuck & Company once owned their own radio station? 93 years ago in 1924 Sears introduced a Country Western music format radio station in Chicago that targeted their market of farmers in a five State listening range who did their shopping using the famous Sears catalog. Sears was known and promoted by this time as the “Worlds Largest Store” and their radio station (located at the Sears headquarters building) thus had the call letters “W L S” This spool of silk fishing line was available in their sporting goods department until Sears eventually sold their radio station to other investors in 1928. Chicago radio station “W L S” is still in business today, but the Sears W L S fishing lines have been long gone for more than 88 years.

Newton’s Line Black Witch

The BLACK WITCH brand fishing line would be the Ideal one to use on Halloween. Made in the late 1930s by the Newton Line Company of Homer, New York, this black colored supreme silk casting line had a label featuring an image of a black witch flying on her broom stick and the letters “O.V.B.” inside of a shield next to her. This line was sold by the wholesale hardware distributor Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett, & Company of Chicago (1882 – 1962) which sold their top of the line quality merchandise with those letters “O.V.B.” which meant “OUR VERY BEST”.

HJ Frost Otter Brand CuttyHunk

H. J. Frost Company was a jobber and wholesaler of all types of fishing tackle in New York, City in the early 1900 – 1920 period and sold under the name Jack Frost Tackle, using the trade marks KELSO, SENATE, ANCHOR BRAND, GOLD STAR and this OTTER BRAND.Irish linen line called THE OTTER CUTTYHUNK.

Grants Premium

W. T. Grant or Grants was a United States-based chain of mass-merchandise stores founded by William Thomas Grant that operated from 1906 until 1976. The stores were generally of the five & dime variety store format located in downtowns. This premium Japan silk waterproofed casting line in ‘like new” unused condition was made for Grant’s stores 85 years ago in 1932 by the Horrocks – Ibbotson company of Utica, New York.

Winchester Leaping Bass

Winchester braided silk casting line – In addition to manufacturing their famous repeating firearms Winchester (Est. 1866) also sold fishing tackle in the 1920s. This unused line spool features the rarest version of their leaping bass image on the paper label.

Newton’s Dictator

This late 1930s version of the DICTATOR brand silk fishing line manufactured by the Newton Line Company of Homer New York features a red wooden spool with an octagon shaped label showing a rooster crowing against the backdrop of a rising sun.

Coldstream

This 90+ year old COLDSTREAM brand silk casting line with a lithographic label image of a leaping bass was made by the Pawtucket Braided Line Company in 1927 and earlier. Established in 1882 in Pawtucket Rhode Island by Alphonso G. Hazard, this firm produced cotton, linen and silk fish lines as well as shoe laces until about 1928 when the firm was sold to Horrocks Ibbotson of Utica New York. Horrocks Ibbotson changed the name of the firm to American Line Company and subsequently moved the factory and production from Pawtucket to Utica in about 1930 and continued to make the American Line Company brand lines through the early 1930s.

Silkaline

This attractively labeled spool of fishing line with a lithographic image of a man in a boat catching a leaping bass on his line was made from the late 1920s to early 1930s era by the Newton Line Company of Homer, New York. And, while its brand name is SILKALINE, it does not actually contain any silk, but is made of Sea Island Cotton instead.
The silky and highly-prized Sea Island Cotton grown on the sea islands of South Carolina and Georgia boasted extra-long fibers that made the variety particularly desirable and preferred over other strains of cotton for its strength and silky feel. William Elliott first imported this sub-variety of Gossypium Bardadense to grow at Myrtle Bank on Hilton Head Island in 1790. The results were a higher quality cotton than previously existed in the American market. Since the Sea Island Cotton used for Newton’s fishing line had both the feel and quality of a silk line the brand name SILKALINE was chosen to describe it.

RJ Hillinger

This BULL FROG brand silk casting line from R J Hillinger & Co. of Chicago Illinois, with its graphic label image of a bass rising to swallow a frog that the fisherman in the boat is using for bait, is more than 100 years old. This is the first version of the various label designs that were used for the BULL FROG brand and was produced sometime between July 2, 1913 and October 18, 1914, the dates when Hillinger applied to register this brand name and label image as his trade mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and when the registration was finally granted by the USPTO.

Belknap’s Go Getter

The Belknap Hardware Company of Louisville Kentucky (1840 – 1986) sold a wide variety of their own brands of fishing tackle in their large 1000+ page catalogs in the early 1900s which included fishing line like this Belknap’s Go-Getter silk casting line featuring the firms new 1909 registered trade mark Liberty Bell logo.

Perfection Braided Casting Line

90+ years ago in the early 1920s the Cortland Line Company of Cortland New York produced a waterproof Japan silk braided casting line which it sold under the very clever brand name “PERFECTION” After all, what fisherman wouldn’t want to fish a perfect line or for that matter use anything less than one made to perfection? The “PERFECTION” brand was infringed upon by the United States Line Company in 1926 when they attempted to sell their own version of the “PERFECTION” brand. However, Cortland prevailed in the resulting dispute as the official prior owner of the trade mark and U. S. Line Company discontinued use of the brand name and changed their brand name to STISFACTION.

Canton Caster

This CANTON CASTER brand silk casting line was made 90 years ago in 1927 by the G. H. Mansfield Company of Canton Massachusetts.(1866 -1933)

Newton’s Finger Lakes

The Newton Line Company of Homer New York produced this version of the Finger Lakes label for their Celluloid covered wooden spool made in 1940 and 1941 that held their silk casting line and to commemorate a region and its first inhabitants

The Finger Lakes is a group of 11 long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes in a region called the Finger Lakes region in Central New York, in the United States.The 11 Finger Lakes, from east to west, are: Otisco Lake, Skaneateles Lake, Owasco Lake, Cayuga Lake, Seneca Lake, Keuka Lake, Canandaigua Lake, Honeoye Lake, Canadice Lake, Hemlock Lake, and Conesus Lake.

The label also features an Indian head inside of an arrowhead because for more than 10,000 years prior to European arrival, the Finger Lakes region was home to the Haudenosaunee (Ho-den-o-SAW-nee), a group of Native American tribes the French called the Iroquois Confederation and the English named the Five Nations. The nations later became six when the Tuscaroras joined the Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagas, Mohawks and Oneidas in the early 1700s

Newton’s Trout Assortment Variant Kreel

This very rare 100 year old “Trout Assortment” brand casting line from circa 1917 was made by the Newton Line Company of Homer New York and features a gold foil and green paper label with an embossed still life image of a split willow creel with shoulder strap and a rod and reel, all of which are resting beneath a low hanging branch of leaves.

Newton’s Mermaid Line Spool

This is the 100 + year old rare “introductory year version” of the MERMAID BRAND silk fishing line with its very rare embossed gold foil label with green background that was produced by the Newton Line Company of Homer, New York that was established by D. D. Newton in 1909. One of my all-time favorites from my antique fishing tackle collection.

Newton’s Trout Assortment

The image of this fish on the label of the Newton Line Company’s TROUT ASSORTMENT brand casting line was originally painted in April 1927 by Charles Otis Wilson for the cover of Outdoor America, thus making this one about 90 years old now.

Ted Williams Line Spool

Most people know of Ted Williams (1918 – 2002) the famous outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, who is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame and is one of the greatest hitters of all time. But fewer people know that he was also enshrined in the International Game Fishing Association Hall of Fame for his contribution to the sport of deep sea fishing and for the manufacturing of fishing tackle. When Ted Williams was not hitting home runs and setting batting average records he was setting records fishing or operating his fishing tackle business. In 1956, The Ashaway Line and Twine Company introduced its new line of Little League and Big League fishing lines in collaboration with Ted Williams. The labels on these spools of Nylon fishing lines featured both the autograph and image of Ted Williams in his baseball uniform. These spools which were only made for a few years are rather scarce to find today and are sought after by collectors of both fishing tackle and baseball memorabilia too.

LL Bean Line Spool

More than 100 years ago in 1912 L.L.Bean was founded by its namesake, hunter and fisherman Leon Leonwood Bean in Freeport, Maine to sell its iconic Duck boot or Hunter’s boot by mail order catalog sales. As Bean’s company catalog sales grew he expanded into more hunting ,fishing and camping gear and clothing too. In 1934 L L Bean was incorporated and by 1937 was offering their own house brand of this short lived and very rare Irish Linen Cuttyhunk for Bass, Tuna, and Tarpon that was made for them in Belfast Northern Ireland until the outbreak of W W II in Europe in 1939.

Newtons Princess Pat Variant

This scarce version of the PRINCESS PAT linen fishing line with an embossed gold foil paper label featuring a side view of a leaping tarpon fish was used by the Newton Line Company of Homer New York for a three year period: 1937, 1938, and 1939.

Half Dollar Bill

The HALF DOLLAR BILL brand pure silk casting line was produced by the Cortland Line Company of Cortland New York from 1931 -1939 and was comparatively less expensive than most other silk lines of comparable quality and was therefore a popular seller with fishermen during those very difficult economic years of America’s Great Depression.

Puritan Fishing Line Spool

Sometime in the fall of 1621, the Puritans invited their Indian friends to join them in a three-day festival which we now call the first Thanksgiving. As an avid collector of all kinds of antique fishing tackle items, I just had to show off this 93 year old (1924) Horrocks-Ibbotson Company wooden spool of PURITAN brand Italian silk fishing line from my collection … this just seemed like the right week to do it.

Skiltons Imperial

T. S. Skilton & Sons Fishing Tackle Company of Winsted Connecticut (1875 – 1985) sold this SKILTON’S IMPERIAL brand Japan silk line 80 years ago in 1937 that was manufactured for them by the Bevin Wilcox Line Company of East Hampton Connecticut.

Bevin Wilcox Blue Seal

The Bevin Wilcox Line Company of East Hampton Connecticut manufactured this BLUE SEAL brand Irish Linen Genuine Cuttyhunk for their saltwater fishermen customers circa 1940.

Black King Fishing Line Spool

Montgomery Ward & Co. of Chicago, Illinois, the mail order and department store retailer, which operated between 1872 and 2001, sold this stock number 60-6048 BLACK KING brand “Japan Silk Casting Line” that was made for them 90 – 95 years ago by the Cortland Line Company of Cortland New York in the early to late 1920s.

Florida Special Fishing Line Spool

This Florida Special SILVER KING brand Cuttyhunk linen line was offered in the late 1920s and early 1930s by the Horrocks Ibbotson Company of Utica, New York for those fishermen seeking to catch the much prized Tarpon depicted on the label.

TJ Conroy Fishing Line Spool

100 years ago in 1917 Thomas J Conroy (est. 1830) manufacturer, importer, and dealer in fine fishing tackle and sporting goods at 28 John street in New York city sold this extremely rare Celebrated Hand Made – Velvet Finish Minnow Casting – Hard Braided Silk fishing line that was made for them by the Hall Line Company of Highland Mills New York. The firm’s logo that appears in the center of the label was first used in the mid 1880s.

Newton’s Ace Pearl Variant

This pearl marbled color Celluloid covered wooden spool with its red and gold foil “Ace of Spades” label was the second label variation used for Newton’s ACE brand in 1931 – 1932. The ACE Japan Silk line as its name implies was the very top line made by the Newton Line Company from 1925 to 1941. During those years that it was made it was, just as advertised, simply the “Smoothest – Smallest – Strongest” silk line that could be manufactured. No other competitor had ever offered a quality silk braided line quite like it and it incorporated numerous features that were to eventually become the standard for the entire fishing line manufacturing industry.