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. 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 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. 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. 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.
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, first toNorway and Sweden 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. 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.
