Gravel Creek Taper Clip Leaders

[troutchaser]

I purchased the Taper Clip Leaders last month from Backcountry Outfitters and finally got out to use them on Saturday.

I wasn't too sure what to expect, since the concept was new to me. Gravel Creek has put five tapered leaders on one spool in a single continuous strand. You simply pull out a leader and clip it at the red section marking the beginning of the next leader. The only drawback for some fishermen is the lack of a connecting loop. Learn to tie a perfection loop and this problem goes away.

I purchased the 9' 5x spool with the intention of adding 6x-7x tippet as needed. The leader was really supple and needed only a minimum amount of stretching to lose all line memory. As easy as that was, it concerned me as to whether or not it would stretch or break if I hooked a large trout. This same limp feature made tying on tippet really easy.

The leader laid out really nicely. Actually, I lost track of my fly because of it. I was using a #18 renegade on 7x tippet and the power transfer was so smooth I barely noticed where the fly landed.

As for stretch, it was nonexistent. I fought an 18 inch rainbow for about 2 minutes, keeping constant pressure on the line. When I landed him and got him on the stringer, I decided to measure the leader against another one on the spool. While this may not be the most scientifically accurate way to measure, it worked for me - no stretch at all.

I recommend using these leaders. the price is extremely reasonable at $12.95. That's only $2.59 per leader - a good deal for tapered leaders, if I say so myself.

[Greg]

Thanks for the review. I have seen those at BCO before. They sound like a good deal. My problem is I use a loop to loop connection and those don't have the loop built in. And I'm just not good at tying those danged perfection loops.

Greg