I always suggest for a person to stay with a "premium" line. They really do make a difference. With that said, brand name becomes a personal thing and can change depending on the application and rods used. I personally don't care for the cortland lines. Simple preferance. I prefer Scientific anglers and RIO lines. A few that I like are the SA GPS and Trout taper. I recently got a GPS Sharkskin, and so far like the line. For RIO I like the Gold and the Grand. I'm not saying that there aren't better lines out there or that I've fished them all, but these I have fished and liked. I think a bigger factor is the line's taper. Decide what you're gonna use the line for and what size flies you plan on using with it and go from there. Give the manufacturers a call. Tell them what rod you're gonna put the line on and how you plan on using it. Tell then what size flies you're gonna fish and what temperatures you're most likely to encounter. They'll gladly suggest what line they feel will function best. They want you to be happy with your line, because then you'll buy more of their products. A little time invested in a phone call can go a long way towards a happy pairing between rod, line, and angler.