Whether famous brands or no-names, there are lots of companies out there for fishing that produce everything you may need in the branch from lures, hooks, and rods to beginner fly fishing rods. Heddon and Rapala are two names with tradition in this business. 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 until now, Rapala has developed progressively winning its name of international brand with a large distribution network and a great position in relation to its competition.
Rapala fishing lures were first produced in Finland. 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. 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.
Rapala company won most of its fame after the Second World War. After the war Rapala revived his small lure making enterprise. Lauri Rapala made the fishing lures himself at first, but in time, the craft was also learned by some other family members. 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 US. 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. 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.
After the success in the States, Rapala went international, copies having been made after their products. 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.
