Whether famous brands or no-names, there are lots of companies out there for fishing that produce everything you can think of in the branch from lures, hooks, and rods to beginner fly fishing rods. Among the oldest companies in this business there are Heddon and Rapala. But before talking about Rapala fishing lures, maybe we should first see a little of its history. The lure production was initiated some 60 years ago. Experience and tradition definitely influence the quality of the products and the company’s track record and current unique distribution network, brand portfolio and manufacturing brand gives it a great position for further growth.
Rapala fishing lures were first produced in Finland. Fishing and farming was the occupation of the man, Lauri Rapala, who founded the company in his native country Finland. The creation of improved lures came from the practical necessity of improving productivity. The prototype for Rapala fishing lures saw daylight in 1936 in the form of a carved lure that caused an off-center and wobbled in the water. This initial model is still the basis for a lot of the Rapala fishing lures.
Lauri Rapala’s business had blossomed just before World War II. We could actually speak of a revival of the small Rapala business. In the very beginning, all the Rapala fishing lures were made by the founder himself and later on he involved the members of his family in the process as well. Lauri always wanted to test each and every lure to make sure it worked properly. Even at present all Rapala fishing lures are first tested and only afterwards packed.
The international episode in the Rapala fishing lures story started after the Olympic Games of Helsinkin, 1952, when foreign visitors took some of the products abroad with them. Exports began soon afterwards, first toNorway and Sweden and then to the USA. In 1957 the business changed its official name into Rapala and Sons or Rapala-Uistin. In 1962, Life Magazine published a long article about Rapala products. Maybe the fact that the article appeared in the same magazine issue that wrote about the death of Marilyn Monroe, had something to do with the company’s growing popularity in America; however the quality of its products definitely helped.
The rest of the international market opened a lot more easily after success of Rapala products in the United States, but there appeared lots of imitators too. Legal actions have been taken against unauthorized copying, yet, forged versions still exist; yet, the quality provided by Rapala still remains a good criterion of appreciation that is surely unsurpassed.