Founded as the Axelson Fishing Tackle Company in 1958 by California angler J.C. Axelson, AFTCO jumped into the fishing tackle world with the development of roller guides for big game. In the early 50s Southern Californian Milt Shedd began sight casting live mackerel at Pacific marlin, in many ways changing the face of the big game fishing world, and by 1973 the Shedd family had purchased AFTCO, transitioning to the American Fishing Tackle Company, while developing a lineup of precision-built tackle and award-winning apparel trusted around the globe for the next half-century. AFTCO won a pair of 2026 “Best Of” awards at ICAST this season, with their new Overcast sweatshirt for women and the high-tech Hydronaut insulated bib and jacket, both products available now. Take a tour with The Fisherman’s Jim Hutchinson, Jr. with Matt Vander Dussen from AFTCO.