Waterworks is immediately associated by most fly fishermen with the lightweight, reliable reels. Yet the origin of Waterkworks lies in a small, innovative tool. In 1996, Waterworks was founded by two anglers and product designers because they found a better solution to remove the fly from the fish's mouth faster and more gently. Named after their hometown in Idaho, the first Waterworks product, the Ketchum Release Tool, was launched in 1996.

Even before Waterworks was founded, product designers were working with high-quality components. Ryan Harrison honed his skills and knowledge in high-performance cycling, for example. Among other things, Harrison developed suspension technology for Cannondale mountain bikes, so he was already familiar with wheels in the frame.
It was only logical that the founders turned to fly reels after the release tool. Because fly reels were heavy, overly complex and unreliable at the time, so there was work to be done here. With the question in mind of what the perfect fly reel looks like, the ULA was born and represents the foundation of today's high quality fly reels. Together with Lamson, the fly reels, rods and accessories, now enjoy more than two decades of passion, innovation and solid engineering - with no end in sight.