July 25, 2014
By Florida Sportsman
Press Release Cortland Lines
For nearly a century, Cortland Line Company has stood as an innovative leader not just in its core business of fishing line, but also in fisheries conservation. To mark the company's centennial in 2015, Cortland announces it is partnering with four of America's most respected conservation and education organizations to help ensure that great fishing remains a part of our nation's heritage for another century and more.
“The future of fishing depends on concerted effort to improve fisheries, recruit new anglers and create products that help anglers feel the pull of this great sport,” says Randy Brown, president and CEO of Cortland Line Company. “With this initiative we are dedicating ourselves to another 100 years of conservation, education and innovation.”
Through its Next 100 Years of Fishing program, Cortland will donate a percentage of every line sale to specific, hallmark projects led by America's premier advocates for saltwater and freshwater conservation: Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Coastal Conservation Association and Trout Unlimited. Through in-store materials, social media and other channels, Cortland will also work to build awareness and membership for these organizations.
“The visionary support of anglers and conservationists as well as companies like Cortland have helped us restore many threatened fisheries in recent decades; but significant challenges remain as we look ahead to the next hundred years,” says Chris Wood, Trout Unlimited president and CEO. “We are excited to partner with Cortland to confront those challenges head-on.”
To help ensure that young anglers continue to discover the joys of fishing, Cortland will provide cash and in-kind support to the National Fishing in Schools Program.
“It is poetically appropriate that America's oldest line company is helping to connect young people with fishing — not just through great products, but also through support of our projects across the United States,” says Katie Cole, program manager of the National Fishing in Schools Program.
To complement these efforts, Cortland has redoubled its commitment to remain at the forefront of fishing line innovation. For 2015, Cortland introduces revolutionary heat-tempered HTx coatings on premium fly lines. This proprietary technology produces a one-of-a-kind slick finish with an extremely low coefficient of friction. The result is that anglers can shoot longer casts while producing minimal surface disturbance during line pickup. The HTx coating also repels dirt and debris, significantly extending peak fly line performance.
That won't be the last innovation from Cortland. Already, the company's Pro Staff and engineers are working on easier-casting Spey lines, small-diameter mono core running lines, lines for distance and lines tweaked to pair perfectly with specific ultra-premium rods.
All in all, the Next 100 Years of Fishing is about ensuring that the good old days of fishing are still ahead of us, says Cortland's Brown. “There was a time not so long ago when many of today's finest American fisheries were depleted and polluted, and when fly fishing was considered an elitist activity,” Brown continues. “We know, because we were there working to clean up those streams, improve fisheries and attract new anglers through product innovation. We will be there tomorrow and long into the future, helping to make sure that fishing remains an enjoyable, accessible and enriching part of American life.”
