A Short Background Of Rapala Fishing Lures

There are numerous manufacturers of fishing equipment, and they 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. And the history of the Rapala company is told by some of the oldest items they produce such as the Rapala fishing lures. The lure production was initiated some 60 years ago. The products are clearly crafted from experience 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 came from Finland, originally. Lauri Rapala, the one who founded the business, was born in Finland in 1905 in a poor family, later in life making a buck by working on farms and fishing. As the saying goes 'Necessity is the mother of invention', so did Rapala decide to improve his fishing productivity, by developing a better lure. In 1936 Lauri Rapala finally created a carved rough-looking lure which would produce an off-center and entice wobbling action. This initial model makes 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. Since the very first days of the company, high emphasis was put on testing, and all the Rapala fishing lures still have to go through a rigorous quality checking process.

After the Olympic Games in Helsinki in 1952, foreign visitors were among the first who took Rapala fishing lures beyond the country’s borders to other countries. From this moment, exports started, initially toSweden and Norway and then to the USA. In 1957 the business changed its official name into Rapala and Sons or Rapala-Uistin. Further business exposure was achieved with the publication of a complex article in the pages of Life Magazine in 1962. It was perhaps because the same magazine issue wrote about Marlyn Monroe's death that Rapala fishing lures increased their popularity in America, even if the quality of the products contributed most to the market impression.

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.