Line Card

Fishing Line Cards

Fishing Line Spools

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

Fishing Line Catalogs

Fishing Line Home

Brown Silk Braided Bear 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 the Great Depression (1929-1939) It was short lived and was only offered in 1931 and 1932 as the “Bear Brand” and was manufactured by the Brown Silk Braid Company of East Hampton, Connecticut.

Winchester Adirondack Line Card

Another favorite from my antique fishing tackle collection – 96 years ago this silk fly fishing line named the ADIRONDACK which has never been fished and is still like new on the card 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. This line was made by the Hall Line Company of Highland Mills, New York for Winchester from 1921 until 1930 and is very rare to find today.

Martin’s Highest Quality Enameled

Elisha J. Martin (1835 – 1899) made this very rare version with a special gold leaf colored bird logo on this card of “MARTIN’S HIGHEST QUALITY KINGFISHER ENAMELED BRAIDED SILK” fishing line between 1890 – 1899.

Rail Bird Line Card

90+ years ago in 1926 the U S Line Company (formerly U S Whip company) made this RAIL BIRD brand fly fishing line after they quit braiding leather for buggy whips and started braiding silk for fishing lines to avoided becoming obsolete.

Horrocks & Ibbotson Italian

95 years ago in the Spring of 1922, the author, artist, angler and hunter, William Harnden Foster, painted a wonderful scene of a fly fisherman who had crawled to the edge of the bank above the water to avoid spooking this trout that to his surprise has just taken his fly. Titled “GEE, I’VE GOT HIM”, this painting must have impressed Ed Ibbotson, President of the Horrocks & Ibbotson Tackle Company, because he subsequently purchased the art work from Foster to be used for the card label of his best Italian Silk fly line.

Horrocks Ibbotson Scotch Linen

This unused card which came from the estate of a printer and label maker named E. R. Rule, was intended to be used by the Horrocks – Ibbotson Company in the late 1920s to early 1930s for holding an attached coil of Linen fishing line. The very artistic chromolithograph image of this beautiful Blueback trout or Sunapee trout makes this one of my favorite line cards.

Newton’s Tom Sawyer

Two of my favorite fishing line cards from 95 years ago are the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn both produced by the Newton Line Company of Homer New York in 1922 under the Mermaid Brand name to honor two classic books in American litature and their iconic fictional charicters: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain published in 1876 and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain published in 1885.

Newton’s Huck Finn

Two of my favorite fishing line cards from 95 years ago are the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn both produced by the Newton Line Company of Homer New York in 1922 under the Mermaid Brand name to honor two classic books in American litature and their iconic fictional charicters: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain published in 1876 and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain published in 1885.

Yankee Doodle Line Card

The Cohantic Line Company (house brand name of the Edw. K. Tryon Company of Philadelphia PA) frequently used fishing line brand names on cards that reflected patriotic themes and America’s red, white, and blue colors between 1913 – 1939 as exampled here.

South Bend Win Oreno

This very rare Win-Oreno line card, is not found in any of the company’s retail catalogs but was found featured in the 1935 South Bend Bait Company Dealers’ catalog. It was illustrated with a leaping bass taking a South Bend Bass-Oreno lure by my friend Peter Paeth’s father, Louis A. Paeth, a famous sporting and outdoor artist and commercial illustrator, who did art work for the South Bend Bait Company for several years beginning in 1923.

Empire City Fishing Tackle

This very rare 100 year old Empire City Fishing Tackle branded “Angler’s Holiday Line” from 1917 is a braided line of dark red and white threads of imported cotton fabric. The 1800s style label artwork shows two fish that face each other and are joined by a shared tail. “EMPIRE CITY” is a nickname for New York City, the largest city in the United States of America. And, 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.

Mermaid Brand Deep Lake Line Card

This unused MERMAID BRAND – DEEP LAKE copper trolling line from 90 years ago was made by the Newton Line Company of Homer New York circa 1927 .

Horrocks Ibbotson Cuttyhunk Strong Reel

1930s Horrocks Ibbotson CUTTYHUNK STRONG REEL LINE with fishing scene art image by Howard L. Hastings (1887- 1955).

Ashaway Speckled Beauty

I collect American manufactured fly lines made prior to 1940 that are unused like this 1924 Speckled Beauty by Swastika Lines AKA Ashaway Line & Twine Company of Ashaway R. I. established 100 years earlier in 1824 (and still in business today) .

Neptune Line Card

NEPTUNE – The 8th Planet from the Sun, The Roman mythological god of the sea, and the brand name of the pure silk fishing line manufactured by the Newton Line Company 90 years ago in 1927.

Superior Ideal Trout

W H Draper & Sons of Troy New York (est. 1865) introduced this image of a trout on the labels of the fishing lines they manufactured in 1894 and then continued to use it for at least 20 more years until 1914. They also used this same 19th century artistic image on lines that they manufactured for others such as hardware, sporting goods, and retail stores.

Horrocks Ibbotson Days Sport

“The Days Sport” brand fishing line features a unique card that wraps around and encloses the line. Manufactured by Horrocks Ibbotson and shown in their catalogs of 1931 and 1933, this 85 + year old hard braided long staple cotton line, also had an attractive graphic image of a country boy in his work overalls and straw hat fishing with a can of worms along the banks of a stream. This wonderful scene is attributed to the famous sporting artist Howard L Hastings (1887 – 1955) who also illustrated some other cards and labels for Horrocks Ibbotson in the early 1930s.

Horrocks Ibbotson Outdoor Life

This fishing line card brand, THE OUTDOOR LIFE, introduced for sale by the Horrocks Ibbotson fishing tackle company of Utica New York in the late 1920s reflects the art work of one of my favorite artist, Howard L Hastings (1887 – 1955) who initially produced this very same fishing scene for the cover of Outdoor Life magazine in July 1927.

Shapleigh’s Mastiff

The Shapleigh’s Mastiff Cuttyhunk Linen fishing line on the card 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” .

Uncle Sam Line Card

The Cohantic Line Company (house brand name of the Edw. K. Tryon Company of Philadelphia PA) frequently used fishing line brand names on cards that reflected patriotic themes and America’s red, white, and blue colors between 1913 – 1939 as exampled here on this UNCLE SAM brand cotton line.

Pirate King Line Card

This early 1930s PIRATE KING brand Cuttyhunk linen line was produced for only a short time by the Newton Line Company of Homer New York and is quite rare to find today.

Black Scottie

This BLACK SCOTTIE brand braided cotton fishing line was sold by the Edward K Tryon Company of Philadelphia under their “house brand name” Cohantic Line Company and manufactured by the Hall Line Company of Highland Mills, New York in the late 1930s.

Gladding Otselic

Prior to 1935 coils of fishing lines sold on cards were tied or rather sewn onto those cards with thread which was labor intensive and thus increased the cost of producing the fishing line coils. However, in 1933 Orin Mac Murray invented a new method of attaching coils of lines to cards with a machine that looped the line underneath tabs shaped like a rainbow trout fish located at each corner of a square card. The Gladding Line Company acquired those patents and made their “MAC” line cards for many years after their introduction in 1935. This OTELIC brand silk line is from that 1935 introductory year and came with others inside the introductory Art Deco designed box. Silk lines were wrapped onto Celluloid cards 1935 – 1941, and cotton or linen lines were wrapped onto heavy stock paper cards during that same period and well after the end of WWII.

Pelican Irish Linen 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 OTTER BRAND. 100 years ago in 1918 H J Frost also sold THE PELICAN brand waterproof Cuttyhunk line. This example was used as a salesman’s sample with the wholesale price of $15.00 per gross (144 cards) hand written in ink on the face of the card. The fishing lines sold by H J Frost were manufactured by the Henry Hall Line Company (est 1840) of Highland Mills New York.

Ashaway Gypsy Line Card

The GYPSY brand braided silk enamel line was a good smooth waterproof line for general use that was coiled and sown onto a card. This brand was introduced by the Ashaway Line & Twine Company (est. 1824) of Ashaway Rhode Island in 1919. Ashaway later introduced this second version of the GYPSY brand card with a graphic label image of a river and campsite in their 1928 catalog. This one is still like new and in unused condition.

Horrocks Ibbotson Perfect Leader

The Horrocks – Ibbotson Company of Utica New York offered this PERFECT LEADER brand silk worm gut leader for fly fishing from at least the mid 1920s until the late 1930s. This one features a graphic image of a beautiful leaping trout at the center of the card.

Marlin Cuttyhunk

This version of the Shakespeare Tackle Company’s MARLIN CUTTYHUNK brand Irish linen line coiled on a card was introduced in the 1934 catalog and was listed at least through 1940. The card features a graphic design with an image of that great billfish leaping at the center and surrounded at the corners by the names of the fish it was intended to catch: Bass, Tuna, Tarpon, and Sailfish.

Oneida Line Card

This early 1900s ONEIDA brand braided long staple cotton extra strong fishing line was sold in a coil on a card under the name M V L Co which was.an abbreviation of the Mohawk Valley Line Co. The M V L Co. was not actually a real company, but was instead a “House Brand” name first used by the Clark & Horrocks Company (Circa 1900 – 1909) of Utica, New York and then by its successor the Horrocks – Ibbotson Company (1909 – 1967) also of Utica, New York. The Mohawk Valley is that area in New York State surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains The graphic image used on the card featured a Native American in full feathered headdress carrying a spear weapon on a galloping horse. This image together with the brand name paid tribute to honor the Native American Oneida people whose tribe name meant “upright stone or standing stone”.

Kilrush Cuttyhunk

This 1930s era KILRUSH brand waterproof Cuttyhunk linen line coiled on a card was made by the Cortland Line Company (est. 1915) of Cortland New York to honor Kilrush (Irish: Cill Rois, meaning “Church of the Woods”) which is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. The graphic image of a beautiful leaping Tarpon was used on the line card to convey the message that this KILRUSH brand line was intended for saltwater fishing and was strong enough to land the big game fish.

Newtons Brook Trout

This 1927 BROOK TROUT brand enameled silk fly line coiled on a card was manufactured by the Newton Line Company (est. 1909) of Homer, New York. This fly line with its attractive graphic image of a trout rising to take a fly continued to be produced and featured in Newton’s catalogs into the early 1930s.

Horrocks Ibbotson Mohican Line Card

This late 1930s era MOHICAN brand braided two color cotton fishing line coiled on a card was manufactured by the Horrocks Ibbotson Company (est. 1909) of Utica, New York. The Mohican are a Native American tribe who lived in and around the Hudson Valley in New York state and were portrayed in the classic novel The Last of the Mohicans, by James Fenimore Cooper. The graphic image at the center of the card of a fisherman about to land a fish in his net is an artistic version of the Horrocks- Ibbotson catalog cover of 1938 which was taken from the Hunting and Fishing magazine cover of April 1937 by artist William Harnden Foster.

Gladding Otselic Octagon Line Card

This very rare and unused 85+ year old Otselic OCTOROON brand hard braided waterproof and enameled Japan Silk fly line coiled on a card was manufactured by the B. F. Gladding Line Company (est. 1816) of South Otselic, New York from at least as early as 1910 through August of 1933 when it was dropped from the 1934 season catalog price list. The brand name Octoroon’s origin was an Americanism dating back to 1855–60; to both a book and stage play and which according to the Merriam – Webster dictionary definition is a noun that means a person having one-eighth black ancestry, with one black great-grandparent. The sixteen total silk threads that were braided together to make this dark color line were russet and green in color, with two of those sixteen threads (one-eighth) being black threads, thus likely explaining the selection by Gladding of Octoroon as a brand name.

US Line Golden Spinner

This unused GOLDEN SPINNER brand braided Japan silk enameled fly line coiled on a card was manufactured by the U. S. Line Company of Westfield Massachusetts (est. 1926) and introduced in their first year. This line, like many of the firms’ other fly line brand names paid tribute to a classic fly fishing lure of the same name. The Golden Spinner trout fly is fished either on the surface as a dry fly or in the surface film where it is more correctly a wet fly. It represents an adult mayfly that has just returned to the water to lay its eggs and trout will cruise lazily around sipping these “spent” mayflies.

Ashaway Boatmans Line Card

This version of the special BOATMEN’S Cuttyhunk brand hand laid twisted linen fishing line coiled on a card was manufactured from 1934 – 1936 by the Ashaway Line & Twine Company (est. 1824) of Ashaway, Rhode Island. This line came on spools as well as cards that also featured a label image of this same fishing boat which is very similar to Ernest Hemingway’s boat named “Pilar” that he purchased in April 1934. Hemingway always used Ashaway Cuttyhunk lines for his saltwater fishing and may have been influenced by this image in the selection of his own style of boat.

SA Jones Ebony Bass

The Samuel A Jones Line Company (1930 – 1939) of Norwich New York made this EBONY BASS brand black linen enameled line. The label image of a leaping bass that is hooked on red and white lure is the same image Jones used for the cover of his 1930 catalog in which the EBONY BASS brand is introduced.

Jean Lafitte Pirate

The Jean La Fitte (Lafitte) “King of the Seas” brand hand laid linen Cuttyhunk line coiled and scotch taped to a card was manufactured in the 1930s by the Tennessee Lines Company of Elizabethton Tennessee (est. 1893) which was owned and controlled by the Ashaway Line & Twine Company (est. 1824) of Ashaway Rhode Island. The brand paid tribute to Jean Lafitte (1780 – 1823) a French pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. Lafitte the pirate earned his place in American history as a patriot when he fought along side Andrew Jackson against the British to defend New Orleans in the battle of 1812.

Horrocks Ibbotson Mohawk

This 94 year old unused 1924 MOHAWK brand waterproof enamel braided silk line coiled on a card was manufactured by the Horrocks – Ibbotson Company (1909 – 1967) of Utica, New York. The brand name and graphics on the label honored the Mohawk indigenous people of North America who were based in the Mohawk Valley in present-day upstate New York west of the Hudson River.

Newton’s Red Wing

This 90+ year old unused RED WING brand extra strong braided cotton casting line coiled on a card was manufactured in the 1920s by the Newton Line Company (est 1909) of Homer New York under their famous Mermaid Brand until it was discontinued just prior to 1930. The Newton’s RED WING brand honored the city of Red Wing, Minnesota, (named after the early 19th-century Dakota Sioux chief, Red Wing), that is located along the upper Mississippi River that borders Minnesota and Wisconsin, and which is noted for its famous stoneware pottery, work boots, and its Walleye fishing.

Crimson King Line Card

This unused 85+ year old CRIMSON KING brand extra strong 48 thread hard braided long staple cotton fishing line coiled on a card was manufactured by the Horrocks Ibbotson Company (1909 – 1967) in the early 1930s and appeared in their catalogs of 1931, 1933, and 1935 and was offered in two colors (brown with bronze specs, and dark green). The brand name CRIMSON KING is derived from the Norway Maple tree (Acer platanoides) which is noted for its beautiful dense maroon red foliage. The very colorful comic book style graphic art illustration of a fisherman catching a leaping bass featured on the card was the work of the famous sporting magazine cover artist Howard L Hastings (1887 – 1955) who also illustrated some other cards and labels for Horrocks Ibbotson in the early 1930s. The famous and very early, “UTK inside a diamond” trade mark, beneath Hastings’ fishing scene was initially registered for use on fishing tackle with the U. S. Patent and Trademark office by the Clark – Horrocks Company (predecessor to Horrocks – Ibbotson) on August 27, 1907. Very few examples of this particular line card are known to exist in collections today making this one quite a rare one for tackle collectors to find.

Silkaline Line Card

This 1920s era SILKALINE brand hard braided cotton casting line coiled on a card was manufactured by the Newton Line Company (est. 1909) of Homer New York and sold under their famous Mermaid Brand name and logo. Despite the word “silk” appearing as part of the brand name or the line being made with a “silk finish” treatment in the final phase of the manufacturing process, it was still a cotton line and never a silk one. It was created to offer fishermen an alternative to the more expensive silk lines and had qualities that were similar to those of silk lines in that it was light and smooth like silk.

Newton Crimson Beauty

This unused 1920s era CRIMSON BEAUTY brand high quality braided long staple cotton casting line coiled on a card was manufactured by the Newton Line Company (est. 1909) of Homer New York and sold under their famous Mermaid Brand name and logo. The CRIMSON BEAUTY brand name referred to the dark maroon red color the line was dyed during the manufacturing process. This line was discontinued by the 1930s .

Nonpariel Line Card

This 1920 – 1930 era unused line card which came from the estate of a printer and label maker named E. R. Rule, was intended to be used for holding an attached coil of Cuttyhunk linen fishing line made from imported Scotch Flax. The NONPAREIL brand name is French – meaning “having no match or equal”. The very artistic chromolithograph image of this beautiful Smallmouth Black Bass was created in the style of the late 19th century artist Sherman Foote Denton (1856-1937) which makes this one of my favorite line cards.

Newton’s Great Lakes

This early 1930s era GREAT LAKES brand genuine Irish linen reel line was manufactured for the Sears & Roebuck Company (est. 1886) of Chicago Illinois by the Newton Line Company (est. 1909) of Homer New York. This dark green Cuttyhunk line was a twisted line, so as to not kink, and coiled on a card with a graphic image of a large lake surrounded with tall evergreens on the shoreline. In 1936 when Sears celebrated its Golden Jubilee of 50 years in business this line was featured in its mail order catalog on special sale for just $0.18 cents per card.

Ontario

This 1930 era ONTARIO brand hard braided long staple cotton line braided of brown and black threads coiled on a card was manufactured by the Newton Line Company (est. 1909) of Homer New York. The Art Deco style letter fonts and graphic scene of sail boats on a lake with sea gulls together with the brand name paid tribute to the Great Lake of Ontario that is shared between the Canadian Province of Ontario and the State of New York.

Athlone Line Card

This 1930 era ATHLONE brand twisted Egyptian long staple cotton fishing line coiled on a card was manufactured by the Newton Line Company (est. 1909) of Homer, New York, The card features an illustration of a classic oasis style Egyptian clay brick building with surrounding palm trees and the brand ATHLONE refers to the town of that same name located in central Ireland on the river Shannon.

SA Jones Great Brook Enamel Line Card

The GREAT BROOK ENAMEL brand silk fly line for trout coiled on a card was manufactured by the S. A. Jones Line Company (1930 – 1938) of Norwich, New York and featured in the firm’s 1931 catalog. This line just like all of Samuel A. Jones’ enameled lines was finished by a special secret process that kept the line dry and not sticky like other enameled lines manufactured by their competitors. This fact plus the attractive graphic image of the colorful leaping trout at the center of the card and an economical selling price helped to make this a popular seller during the years of America’s Great Depression.

Abbey and Imbrie Hicolon Line Card

This 1930s era HICOLON TAPPERED LEADER brand Gut Fishing Line coiled on a card was sold under the name Abbey & Imbrie (est. 1820) of New York, after that firm had been acquired by Horrocks Ibbotson Company (est. 1909) of Utica, New York. HICOLON was a trade mark owned and used by Horrocks Ibbotson. The colorful graphic illustration of a fly fisherman landing his catch in a net at the center of the card was by Howard L Hastings (1887- 1955). This same illustration was also used in the 1930s for the label of Horrocks Ibbotson’s fishing rod varnish.

Cortland Universal Fly Line

This unused and like new UNIVERSAL 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) of Cortland New York. The colorful graphic image of a rainbow trout chasing a fly at the bottom of the card was used well into the mid 1930s on this and other Cortland brand fly lines.

Dark section with content right

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat.

Shakespeare Kazoo Line Card

The KALAMAZOO enameled silk line for bait or fly casting coiled on a round card was introduced by 1916 and was manufactured from imported Japan silk that was closely braided from black and white threads by the William Shakespeare Jr. Company (est. 1897) of Kalamazoo, Michigan. However, this version of the label appears in the 1927 catalog and was continued through at least 1939. The KALAMAZOO brand honored Shakespeare’s headquarter city, and was so named after the Native American Potawatomi people who used a very similar word to Kalamazoo meaning “boiling water.

Billy Kin

The BILLY KIN brand 32 thread 18 pound test braided cotton fishing line coiled on a round card was manufactured by the Cortland Line Company (est. 1915) of Cortland, New York as early as July 1919 and the brand became a registered trademark with the U. S. Patent and Trademark office by June, 1922. This BILLY KIN brand version of the card with the image of the leaping bass rising out of the water was introduced about 1932 and continued to be offered through at least 1936.

Meadowbrook Line Card

This 1930s era “A & I” MEADOWBROOK brand braided black and tan color cotton fishing line coiled on a card and advertised for use “for all game fish” was sold by Abbey & Imbrie (est. 1820) of New York City. This line was most likely manufactured for A & I by the Horrocks Ibbotson Fishing Tackle Company (est. 1909) of Utica, New York which had acquired A & I by 1930 and had produced other line cards for themselves with a very similar style of graphic artwork to this one during the 1930s. It should be noted that the A & I MEADOWBROOK brand was apparently considered a different trade mark from the Sears Roebuck & Company MEADOW BROOK (two word) brand name used by Sears after they filed their brand name with the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office on July 10 1930 which was subsequently granted and used by Sears throughout the 1930s.

Hall’s Celebrated Florida Pride

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 natural or green color was described in the 1937 / 8 catalog as having been made for a great many years. While it is not listed in the 1903 price list, it was likely introduced sometime early in the 20th century and is known to have been advertised at least until the 1950s. The card features a green tinted photographic image of the tree tops of the palm trees that are native to Florida together with the earliest Hall’s trade mark logo in the center of the card that was initially used from the mid to late 1800s and then reintroduced once again in the years just prior to the 100th year anniversary celebration in 1940 of the company’s founding in 1840.

Horrocks Ibbotson Perfect Leader

The Horrocks – Ibbotson Company (1909 – 1967) of Utica New York offered this PERFECT LEADER brand silk worm gut leader coiled under four tabs on a card for use in fly fishing from at least the mid 1920s until the late 1930s. This one features a graphic image of a beautiful leaping trout taking a fly lure and the firm’s famous diamond shaped trade mark at the center of the card. This is the third known design variation of the PERFECT LEADER brand.

Japanoid Line Card

This rare and unused JAPANOID brand braided Japan silk enameled line coiled on a round card was introduced in the very first 1926 catalog of premium silk lines manufactured by the U. S. Line Company (est. 1926) of Westfield, Massachusetts. This line was produced using what was at the time the newest technology of applying the enamel under vacuum pressure so that all 16 strands of the braided silk threads would be completely made waterproof throughout the entire line. The JAPANOID brand name conveyed to the buyer that this line was made from the best imported silk in the world and the company logo of the American bald eagle with a fish in its talons trade mark conveyed it was made in the U. S. A. The JAPANOID brand name was registered with the United States Patent and Trademark office on November 3, 1925 and then renewed November 3, 1945 and was advertised as late as 1958.

Black Ebon Line Card

The BLACK EBON brand hard braided waterproof silk fishing line for bass or trout coiled on a round card was offered for sale by the Horrocks Ibbotson Company (est.1909) of Utica, New York as early as 1924, but with a different graphic design than the one shown here. This version of the BLACK EBON brand features graphic art images that were used by H-I in the mid to late 1930s on other fishing line labels as well as on this card. The BLACK EBON brand was most likely manufactured by H-I until at least World War II.

Good Luck Enameled

This mid – to late 1930s era GOOD LUCK brand braided trout size enameled silk fly rod line coiled on an Art Deco style designed card was made for the Western Auto Supply Company (1909 – 1961) by the Cortland Line Company (est. 1915) of Cortland, New York. This GOOD LUCK brand 25 yard line was sold in a boxes with 8 cards of coiled line connected for a total of 200 yards in each box until it was discontinued at the start of World War II.

Gladding Cane Pole Line Card

In 1935 This CANE POLE LINE brand twisted cotton fishing line coiled on a 1933 patented card was introduced to the public by the B. F. Gladding Company (est. 1816) of South Otselic, New York. Orrin Mac Murray, the inventor of the card with fish shaped tabs at the corners which held the coiled lines in place, revolutionized the packaging of line on cards that made it possible to use machines instead of time consuming labor by hand to package fishing lines, which was also far more economical too. These 85 year old patented “MAC” cards, as Gladding named them were used into the 1940s and early 1950s and are somewhat scarce to find today in full and unused condition with the paper fish shaped tabs still intact.

Shapleigh Nu Flax

This Late 1930s era NU-FLAX brand braided Cuttyhunk linen line coiled on an Art Deco design style card was sold by the Shapleigh Hardware Company (est. 1864) of St. Louis, Missouri. The NU-FLAX brand was manufactured for Shapleigh by the Newton Line Company (est.1909) of Homer, New York using linen that was imported from Ireland until 1941 when it last appeared in the catalog. The brand name reflected that the line was made from the Flax plant which is the plant that gives us linseed oil, linen fabrics, threads, line and so much more. This line could be used for both freshwater and saltwater fishing.

Silkalene Line Card

This mid to late 1930s SILKALENE brand black and white hard braided long staple cotton fishing line coiled on an Art Deco graphic designed card was sold by the Edw. K. Tryon Company (est. 1811) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which is identified by its “crown over a fish” registered trade mark near the center of the card. The SILKALENE was manufactured for Tryon by the Newton Line Company (est. 1909) and was identical to Newton’s own SILKALINE brand in every respect except for the modification in the brand name spelling. Both the SILKALENE and SILKALINE brands had a very smooth and “silk like” finish to their braided cotton threads that made them ideal for a casting line.

Fish Hawk

This late 1930s era FISHHAWK brand special twisted waterproof Cuttyhunk linen line coiled on a rectangular card was manufactured by the U. S. Line Company (est. 1926) of Westfield Massachusetts. This special patented line card allowed the line to be coiled through the holes in the card and was used throughout the late 1930s. This FISHHAWK brand used both a dark green and natural colored linen threads that gave it a salt and pepper braided style appearance.

Defiance Line Card

This rare and unused DEFIANCE brand enameled silk line coiled on a round card was manufactured with Italian silk according to the Horrocks – Ibbotson Company (est. 1909) of Utica, New York catalog of 1924. By 1931 the catalog description was slightly modified and the silk line was described as “highest quality pure silk” and the enamel was described as being transparent so that the natural color of the silk was visible. The DEFIANCE brand name had been registered with the U. S. Patent & Trademark Office on April 5, 1909 and the line was manufactured until at least 1942.

Linoline Line Card

This 1920s era LINOLINE brand twisted combed Egyptian cotton extra strong line coiled and sewn onto a card was manufactured by the B. F. Gladding Line Company (est.1816) of South Otselic, New York. This line was a popular seller and was produced for many years until WWII. However, this version of the card label was last used in 1934 and the LINOLINE brand was changed to the new patented MAC cards with the fish tabs on the corners in 1935.

King Cotton

This rare and unused early 1930s era KING COTTON brand braided long staple combed Egyptian cotton line coiled and sewn onto a card was manufactured by the U. S. Line Company (est. 1926) of Westfield , Massachusetts. While this KING COTTON brand line could have been used for most any type of fishing, this particular size was intended by the manufacture for use in trout fishing as was noted on the label.

Hiawatha Line Card

This 1930s era empty HIAWATHA brand hard braided fishing line card is an unused new condition old stock card that was printed for use by the Shapleigh Hardware Company of St. Louis Missouri (1847 – 1960) which sold fishing tackle under its “house brand’ name Diamond Mfg Co. The card features an attractive and colorful lithographic image of Hiawatha standing in front of the brand name.
Hiawatha (1525 – 1595) was a colonial American Indian leader and co-founder of the Iroquois Confederacy. He was a leader of the Onondaga people or the Mohawk people or both. According to some accounts, he was born an Onondaga but adopted into the Mohawk.

Ashaway Original Cuttyhunk

The ORIGINAL CUTTYHUNK brand linen line for catching the Tuna, Tarpon and Bass game fish was created in the 1800s by the Ashaway Line & Twine Company of Ashaway Rhode Island (est 1824) specifically for the rich and famous members of the private Cuttyhunk Fishing Club at Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts (est. 1859). It became so popular and in such high demand that by 1902 it was being offered in Ashaway’s catalog and made available for use by all fishermen. This particular version of that line coiled onto a card was manufactured in 1937 when their new trade mark shown was introduced. This version was produced until 1942.

Highest Quality 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 of a tarpon fish on the card, but without the Newton name as it was made to be sold as a very low priced Cuttyhunk line by the retail trade of sporting goods, hardware, and department stores.

Cortland Enamaline

This rare and unused mid-1930s era ENAMALINE brand strong, flexible, and durable fly line coiled on a card with the colorful lithographic image of a bass leaping to take a fly lure was braided in two colors and as the brand name indicates was enameled. Made by the Cortland Line Company (est. 1915) of Cortland New, York it was only produced between 1933 and 1936 and then discontinued by the time of publication of the 1937 catalog.

Belknap Cuttyhunk

This 1933 cataloged but empty COLLEEN CUTTYHUNK brand waterproofed linen line card is an unused new condition old stock card that was printed for use by the Belknap Hardware and Manufacturing Company (1840 – 1985) of Louisville, Kentucky that had been founded by William Burke Belknap (1811 – 1889). The 36 LB test COLLEEN CUTTYHUNK brand line that was intended to be coiled and sewn onto this card would have been manufactured by the Hall Line Company (est. 1840) of Highland Mills, New York who made many different brands of fishing lines for Belknap throughout the 1930s.

Princess Pat

This extremely rare and unused 1930 PRINCESS PAT brand twisted linen Cuttyhunk line coiled on a card with the word “waterproof” stamped over the image was manufactured by the Newton Line Company (est. 1909) of Homer, New York. The attractive image of the leaping tarpon fish was used for the introductory year on line spool labels and this card for one year only and was then replaced with a different image by 1931. The PRINCESS PAT was made from the finest imported Irish linen from 1930 (when this card was introduced) through 1940 with a total of six different label variations through the years until it was discontinued following the outbreak of WWII.

Horrocks Ibbotson Flex

This very early 1940s FLEX brand plastic coated fly line coiled on a card with a colorful graphic image of an American Bald Eagle was manufactured by the Horrocks Ibbotson Company (est.1909) of Utica, New York and sold under their American Line Company brand that was previously known as the Pawtucket Braided Line Company of Pawtucket R. I. that Horrocks Ibbotson had acquired in 1928 and later moved to Utica, New york. This plastic coated fly line was intended to compete with Nylon lines but did not succeed and was short lived.

Kerry Brand Line Card

The KERRY brand Irish linen reel line coiled on a card was introduced in 1912 by the B. F. Gladding Line Company (est. 1816) of South Otselic, New York. The KERRY line was an economically priced linen line that was made from selected Irish flax and named to honor County Kerry located in the southwest of Ireland that is noted for its beautiful terrain. This version of the card design was introduced in 1930 and used until 1935.

Gladding Saline Line Card

This very rare and unused SALINE brand hard braided strong and elastic enameled silk line for bait or fly casting coiled on a card was introduced in the very early 20th century by the B. F. Gladding Line Company (est. 1816) of South Otselic, New York and manufactured under a special finish process patented on May 14, 1901. This particular version of the SALINE brand was introduced in 1912. The SALINE brand name was derived from the fact that this line was made to be impervious to all alkalies or saline matters it might be exposed to in waters, a fact that was used to advertise and sell this very popular Gladding line into the 1930s.

Cortland Indian Line Card

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) of Cortland New York. The colorful graphic image of a rainbow trout chasing a fly at the bottom of the card was used well into the mid 1930s on this and other Cortland brand fly lines. The INDIAN brand name was chosen to honor all of America’s Native Indian peoples.

Pflueger 4 Brothers Line 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 upon his return to the Enterprise Manufacturing Company fold in 1913. No 4-Bros. items were made prior to 1914. This imported 4 BROTHERS brand imported Spanish silkworm gut leader material coiled on a card was manufactured during the mid to late 1930s when this style of card with the tabs at each corner was in use.

Neptune Scotch Linen Line Card

NEPTUNE – The 8th Planet from the Sun, The Roman mythological god of the sea, and the brand name of this rare and unused genuine Scotch linen line coiled on this square card that was sold in the 1920s by the William Frankfurth Hardware Company (est 1861) of Milwaukee Wisconsin. The card features the graphic image of the firm’s registered trade mark logo of Neptune holding his trident that appears at the very center of the card.

Horrocks Ibbotson Sunrise Line Card

This unused and rare SUNRISE brand Sea Island Cotton special processed enameled line coiled on a card with a colorful graphic image of a leaping trout was introduced in 1932 by its manufacturer, the Horrocks Ibbotson Company (est. 1909) of Utica, New York.

Susquehanna Line Card

This SUSQUEHANNA brand unused old stock line card with the lithographic image of a bass fish was printed in the late 1930s for use by the Horrocks Ibbotson Company (est.1909) of Utica New York to hold their extra hard braided long staple Egyptian cotton bass fishing line that they had sold as early as 1924. The brand name comes from the Susquehanna River which is a major river located in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States. At 464 miles long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the United States that flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Gladding Lignum Line Card

This rare and unused 1939 era version of the LIGNUM VITAE brand hard braided waterproof Japan silk casting line coiled onto a 1935 patented MAC card was manufactured by the B. F. Gladding Line Company (est.1816) of South Otselic, New York for two more years until it was discontinued at the end of 1941. The brand name LIGNUM VITAE is in reference to its dark color which is like the very hard heavy wood of any of several tropical American guaiacums trees found in the Caribbean islands.

HJ Frost Nearsilk Line Card

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 ANCHOR, KELSO, SENATE, THE PELICAN, GOLD STAR and OTTER BRAND. More than 100 years ago in 1915 H J Frost also sold this THE NEARSILK brand which was a silk imitation line made from long staple Egyptian cotton trout size line and coiled on this card to be sold under the ANCHOR BRAND. The fishing lines sold by H J Frost were manufactured by the Henry Hall Line Company (est 1840) of Highland Mills New York. This example shown here came from a salesman’s sample book and was marked in 1915 to sell wholesale to fishing tackle dealers for $12.00 per gross (144) of cards.

HJ Frost Senate Line Card

H. J. Frost Company was a jobber and wholesaler of all types of fishing tackle in New York, City in the early 1900 – 1920s period and sold under the name Jack Frost Tackle, using the trade marks KELSO, SENATE, ANCHOR BRAND, GOLD STAR, OTTER BRAND, and THE PELICAN brand. This 1915 era SENATE brand hard braided 48 thread waterproof line coiled on a card is unused and came from a salesman’s sample book when the price in 1915 was $2.25 per dozen cards. This line was manufactured for H. J. Frost by the Henry Hall Line Company (est. 1840) of Highland Mills, New York and featured the firm’s trademark intertwined letters: “H”, “J”, and “F”, with “CO”.

Amazon Line Card

This AMAZON brand hard braided super quality cotton fishing line coiled on a card is illustrated with a colorful comic strip style of graphic image scene of the type that was often used on cards between the late 1920s to early 1930s. However, the AMAZON brand has yet to be identified by either a catalog listing or advertisement as to the maker or seller or exact age of this attractive card.

Chaplain Line Card

This high quality CHAMPLAIN brand special braided line coiled on a round card was manufactured from russet and brown smooth combed cotton threads closely braided by the W. H. (William Henry) Draper & Son Company (est. 1865) of Troy New York. The CHAMPLAIN brand was introduced prior to 1914 and this version, with the colorful new company logo of the World globe map showing the meridian lines and the slogan “Meridian Brand – Standard of All Time” is from Circa 1929. The CHAMPLAIN brand refers to both the Town and Lake located in New York. Lake Champlain was an important military and trade route during the colonial period. The lake and the town were bothnamed in honor of Samuel de Champlain, who first surveyed the area in 1609. It was part of Canada until 1763 and became part of the United States in 1783.

Newtons Veribest Line Card

This unused and like new condition VERIBEST brand of braided waterproofed 48 thread Egyptian long staple cotton line coiled on an Art Deco – Streamline Moderne style designed card was manufactured by the Newton Line Company (est. 1909) of Homer, New York. The VERIBEST brand was introduced in 1930 on a different style designed card and this one was used from 1939 through 1941.

Shurkatch Line Card

The Shurkatch Fishing Tackle Corporation began in 1899 in Providence, Rhode Island. In August 1936, Mr. Frederick S. Doolittle moved the company to Richfield Spring, NY. and became a distributor of fishing lures manufactured by Horrocks Ibbotson Company (est. 1909) of Utica, New York, This SHURKATCH brand hard twisted coil line on a card was manufactured by H -I and used the very same illustration of the leaping bass that H – I used in the late 1930s on their famous RAINBOW brand line spool labels.

Professor Line Card

The 1926 PROFESSOR brand enameled special selected Japan silk brown and black braided trout fly line coiled on a card was manufactured by the U. S. Line Company (est. 1926) of Westfield Massachusetts. The PROFESSOR like so many of the lines made by the U. S. Line Company derived its brand name for a famous fly pattern: The Professor fly pattern was created in Scotland in 1820, and according to Mary Orvis Marbury’s book, “Favorite Flies and Their Histories”, published in 1892, was named for Professor John Wilson. This popular fly line was manufactured throughout 1930s.

Pflueger Fine Quality Gut Line Card

This very rare 19th century illustrated card of Pflueger’s Fine Quality Gut Casting Line has all of the best elements a collector looks for in a late 1800s era produced line card. First, it has the printer’s fancy border design running along the outer edge of the card. Second, it has the fancy style lettering that is very typical of a font style that was used in the 1880s. And, finally the illustration is a classic scene that has been well documented as having been produced in the early 1880s. In fact, from my research I discovered that the engraving was initially designed by commercial illustrator and engraver Frank Bolles Jr. of Springfield Massachusetts for a C F Orvis Company ad that appeared in an 1881 issue of the American Angler magazine, but was then modified in 1883 for use by Pflueger to include their name, and “Akron O.” in the illustration plus the addition of some “glowing lines” around the luminous fly lure that the fish is rising from the cattails at night to take. This attractive illustration is just as eye catching today as it would have been when it was introduced 138 years ago.