About us

Finlandia-uistin Oy

It all began in the 1950s when two brothers: Hannu and Kalevi Kangas were collecting pine bark for the local lure makers. In 1963 they founded their own lure making company: Finlandia-uistin Oy due to the rising demand for Finnish lures in the North America. Finlandia-uistin was among the first manufactures to introduce colorful fishing lures in Finland. Finding the right patterns, action and colors one more irritating than the next have laid a good foundation for the success of the Nils Master product range that has lasted for decades. Nils Master lures with their unique and inimitable movement are completely irresistible.

From the first seven Nils Master lures: Warrior, Spearhead, Destroyer, Invincible, Predator, Conqueror and Stalwart many has remained in our production since 1965 and others have been reborn as Jäpittäjä and Haka. Later in 1978 the product range was completed with the Bete trademark developed in the 1940s by Tysklind brothers. As a Scandinavian company, they wanted their tradition of Nordic manufacturing to continue and thus the manufacturing of their legendary spoons came to Finlandia-uistin Oy. Mr. Tage Tysklind, one of the owners and the production manager of the Tysklind company, helped us to set up the production for our new products that included many of the most famous Bete spoons like Krokodil, Turku, Jämtland, Utö and Nix Weedless. Highly popular Bete Lotto spinner was launched in 1979 and thus a new era had begun.

When you purchase a Nils Master lure you have comfort knowing it catches fish because every Nils Master model must prove its worth in years of testing before reaching the shops. Every lure is individually quality controlled, hand tuned and swim tested before packaging. Wherever fish tales of record catches are being told, you’ll also hear fishermen singing the praises of Nils Master & Bete lures and their aggressive fishing properties. Retailers around the world sell Nils Master Lures including The Brown Bear Distribution Inc. Based out of Canada, they sell to the USA and Canada alike.

The Brown Bear

We are The Brown Bear. We have several online stores and our goal always remains the same: "To provide the best quality products and an amazing shopping experience". We are based out of Ontario, Canada and have a warehouse in the United States that accepts returns and aids in part of the shipping.

We decided to start a website that sells Nils Master fishing lures as we saw a need to provide these amazing fishing lures to customers in Canada and the USA. We have several avid fishermen in the family. About 10 years ago, they became aware of Nils Master and started to primarily use the shads and the jiggers for ice fishing. They were amazed at the fishing results and Nils Master has become a key lure in all of their tackle boxes. The problem is that Nils Master fishing lures were very hard to find in Canada. Nils Master manufactures their lures in Finland and very few retailers offer it in North America. Since then, we were able to become a supplier of Nils Master and are happy to provide these fantastic lures to our customers. If you do not see a style you want, we would be happy to order it for you. We would also be delighted if you would share a picture of your "catch" so we can post on our website to show other fishermen the types of fish you can catch with Nils Master lures.

Our Story

This family business all started with Francine and Kurt Scheuermann in a small town east of Toronto, Ontario. Kurt and Francine wanted to escape the busy city life and picked Westport Ontario as a rural place to settle. They decided to start a retail store that carried Canadian made goods. This retail store was called The Brown Bear and was open from 1972 until 1998. The store became an icon for the community and many shoppers would travel long distances to visit quaint little Westport and shop at The Brown Bear. Kurt experienced some health issues over the years so they recognized they needed to slow down and retire so his health could improve. Francine loved the customer interaction and missed the ability to make people happy with the products she sold. Kurt and Francine passed their work ethic and entrepreneurship down to their 4 children. In 2010 Francine, and one of her daughters Natalie, decided to team up and begin selling online. They started with moccasins as their main product as this was one of the most popular items at The Brown Bear store. Francine was also the most familiar with the quality and uniqueness of this product and still had a connection with the manufacturers. This is how Moccasins Canada began. In order to reach our US client base, they also started Leather-Moccasins.

Because The Brown Bear started small, they have tried to cherish and keep their customer relations as personal as possible. Francine and Natalie both try to personally be involved with orders and customer inquiries. They realize how popular shopping online has become, but realize it is not always a personal or enjoyable experience for everyone, so they try their best to keep their customers happy and make themselves available to chat or assist where needed. They aim to make a pleasant shopping experience that is more personal and that is why they LOVE hearing how people like their products and enjoy when customers share pictures and testimonials.

In 2012 another one of Francine’s daughters, Vanessa, joined the team and was able to help launch a few more lines and online stores within The Brown Bear. Every time they add a store or product line, they aim to fulfill a need. They believe in the products they sell. Their goal is to provide buyers with a product that will suit their specific needs and help their customers enjoy life a little more. They truly hope that you will enjoy their products and enjoy your shopping experience with them. They love to hear from their customers, or browsers even if it is constructive criticism, so please feel free to drop them a line at info@thebrownbear.ca.