American Fishing Wire

What American Fishing Wire does

American Fishing Wire, doing business as AFW Fishing Brands, is a privately held specialty fishing tackle manufacturer founded in 1926 and headquartered at 440 Highlands Blvd, Coatesville, Pennsylvania. The company designs and distributes specialty wire (stainless steel T302/T304/T316/T316L, Monel, Inconel, Copper, and Nickel-Titanium), monofilament and 100% fluorocarbon lines, braided lines, single- and multi-strand wire leaders, terminal tackle, and a broad range of trolling lures and pre-made rigs. Its portfolio is organized under multiple legacy sub-brands — Aqua-Clear, C&H Lures, Billy Baits, No Alibi, and Sea Witch — covering saltwater and freshwater use cases including trolling, surf, inshore, offshore, and deep-water fishing.

The company's technical differentiation centers on materials science and regulatory compliance rather than digital technology: it operates in-house X-ray fluorescence (XRF) chemical testing, sends hundreds of product samples annually to third-party labs for safety and material verification, and maintains documented compliance with CPSIA, California Proposition 65, RoHS, EU REACH, and the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) via its appointed EU Responsible Person, TerrainQ Solutions UG. It offers a "Made in USA" product line as an explicit quality and brand differentiator.

AFW sells through a dual-channel model: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at afwfishing.com with account management and catalog downloads, supplemented by a dealer/reseller network surfaced via a "Where To Buy" page. Shipping is available across the US (48 contiguous states, Alaska, Hawaii), Canada, and the EU, with REACH-compliant products labeled line-by-line. The customer base is recreational anglers, with no enterprise or B2B accounts disclosed. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales of consumables; no subscription, recurring, or software-based revenue streams are present, and no AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

Name

American Fishing Wire

Legal name

AFW Fishing Brands

Website

https://afwfishing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

American Fishing Wire (AFW Fishing Brands) is a privately held, Coatesville, Pennsylvania-based specialty fishing tackle manufacturer, founded in 1926, that produces wire leaders, monofilament/fluorocarbon/braided lines, terminal tackle, lures, and pre-made rigs under multiple sub-brands for recreational saltwater and freshwater anglers, sold via DTC e-commerce and dealer networks across the US, Canada, and the EU.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fishing Tackle & Equipment

NAICS

Other Fabricated Wire Product Manufacturing (332618), Rope, Cordage, Twine, Tire Cord, and Tire Fabric Mills (314994)

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)

akta.pro primary industry

Lures, Flies & Terminal Tackle Specialty Retail (CRAMALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rods, Reels & Line Specialty Retail (CRAMALAI), Saltwater & Offshore Fishing Specialty Retail (CRAMALAC), Water Sports & Marine Recreation Gear Distribution (CRAOAJAD)

Keywords

• Fishing tackle
• Fishing lines
• Wire leaders
• Trolling lures
• Terminal tackle

Headquarters

HQ city

Coatesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fishing Tackle Product Sales: Direct sale of fishing gear including lines, leaders, terminal tackle, lures, rigs, tools, and accessories to consumers and potentially retailers. Revenue generated through one-time product purchases via e-commerce and dealer network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

American Fishing Wire manufactures and sells fishing lines, wire leaders, terminal tackle, lures, rigs, and related accessories for saltwater and freshwater recreational fishing. Its portfolio is organized under multiple sub-brands (Aqua-Clear, C&H Lures, Billy Baits, No Alibi, Sea Witch) and spans monofilament, 100% fluorocarbon, braided, and wire products in stainless steel, Monel, Inconel, Copper, and Nickel-Titanium materials.

Product overview

AFW Fishing Brands is a fishing equipment company with a multi-brand portfolio dating back to 1926, offering a comprehensive range of fishing products. The portfolio includes multiple sub-brands: Aqua-Clear (rigging components and pre-made rigs), C&H Lures (trolling lures), Billy Baits Lures (smoking rigs and trolling lures), No Alibi Lures (jigs and trolling feathers), and Sea Witch (specialized lures). Core product categories span fishing lines (monofilament, fluorocarbon, braided), leader wire (single and multi-strand), terminal tackle, lures, tools, rigging accessories, and storage solutions. Notable products include Mighty Mini stainless steel swivels and Titanium Tooth Proof Leaders. The company operates as a distributor-based model with Made in USA options available, serving both saltwater and freshwater fishing markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aqua-Clear: Product line including fishing rigs, components, and rigging accessories for various fish species.
• C&H Lures
• Billy Baits
• No Alibi
• Sea Witch

Products and services

• Aqua-Clear
• C&H Lures
• Billy Baits Lures
• No Alibi Lures
• Sea Witch
• Monofilament Line
• 100% Fluorocarbon Line
• Braided Line
• Wire - Single Strand
• Wire - Multi Strand
• Titanium Tooth Proof Leaders
• Titanium Surfstrand Bare 1x7 Wire Leaders
• Terminal Tackle
• Mighty Mini Stainless Steel Snap Swivels
• Mighty Mini Stainless Steel Crane Swivels
• Rigs & Rigging Accessories
• Ready-Made Leaders & Rigs
• Rigging Supplies
• Tools & Accessories
• Gloves
• Bags & Storage
• Bucket Harnesses and Belts
• Flags
• Trolling Weights

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TerrainQ Solutions UGcoreOthers · 13 December 2024Appointed as EU Responsible Person for AFW Fishing Brands products under EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). Ensures product conformity and acts as liaison between company and EU authorities. Required for all consumer products entering EU market to meet EU REACH safety standards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seaguar (Kureha Corporation): Seaguar is a leading fluorocarbon and monofilament fishing line brand — a direct competitor in AFW's fishing line and leader categories, particularly the 100% fluorocarbon line segment.
• Yo-Zuri: Yo-Zuri manufactures hard lures, trolling lures, and fishing lines, directly competing with AFW's C&H Lures, Billy Baits, and No Alibi sub-brands in offshore trolling applications.
• Rapala VMC Corporation: Rapala is one of the largest fishing lure and terminal tackle manufacturers globally, offering trolling lures, hooks, lines, and accessories across saltwater and freshwater — directly competing with AFW's lures and tackle portfolio.
• Eagle Claw: Eagle Claw is a US-based heritage manufacturer of hooks, swivels, and terminal tackle with similar legacy brand positioning, directly overlapping AFW's terminal tackle and rigging component categories.
• Mustad: Mustad is a leading manufacturer of fishing hooks and terminal tackle with deep heritage, competing head-to-head with AFW in terminal tackle and serving similar saltwater and freshwater angler segments.
• Owner American Corporation: Owner American is a long-established manufacturer of fishing hooks and terminal tackle, competing directly with AFW's swivels, snaps, and hook product categories.
• SPRO Corporation: SPRO designs and distributes fishing lures, terminal tackle, and accessories targeting both freshwater and saltwater anglers — directly overlapping AFW's lure and tackle assortment.

Broad incumbents

• Pure Fishing (Berkley, Shakespeare, Abu Garcia): Pure Fishing is a large tackle conglomerate owning brands like Berkley, Abu Garcia, and Shakespeare — selling lines, leaders, lures, and terminal tackle across the same channels and customer base as AFW but at much greater scale.
• Daiwa (Globeride): Daiwa is a global tackle giant offering rods, reels, lines, lures, and terminal tackle — overlapping AFW's product categories as a broad incumbent with deeper scale and broader distribution.
• Shimano: Shimano dominates fishing tackle and reels globally, with growing presence in lines, leaders, and terminal tackle. As a broad incumbent, it competes with AFW's tackle categories while also anchoring the broader saltwater fishing ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/afwhiseas
• Facebookfacebook.com/AFWFishing
• Instagraminstagram.com/afwfishing
• Xx.com/afwofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-fishing-wire

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Fishing Wire