Umpqua Power Taper Leaders are quickly becoming my favorite leader to fish. Whether you are fishing skinny water in Puget Sound or hopper fishing a big river, a little extra help goes along way. We as anglers tend to think of fly line tapers for assistance when casting large or heavy flies. This is true, there are tapers for every fishing situation out there, but the leader is often overlooked.
We need some backend help to turn over large, wind resistant or heavy flies. The Umpqua Power taper has an elongated un-tapered butt section that transitions very quickly down to the fishing end. This elongated butt section will hold loop stability in the air and promote a strong turn-over. Thus, transferring the power created by the fly line continuously down through the leader for an accurate cast, powerful turnover, and a smoother feel when casting with heavy flies.
Not only will the Umpqua Power Taper Leader turn over big flies, it is fantastic at two or even three fly rigs. When nymphing, the butt of the leader (strike indicator attached) provides the power to turn over indicators and large and/or heavy flies while the smaller diameter forward taper and tippet sink faster, creating a angle conducive to nymphing. This is especially true when using the 7.5 ft length.
Umpqua Power Taper Leaders come in 9 foot & 7.5 foot lengths and range from 2x – 5x.
Favorite uses:
- 9 foot 2x – Skinny water cutthroat w/ weighted fly – Puget Sound
- 9 foot 3x – Hopper fishing in Western Rivers
- 9 foot 4x – Chironomid fishing
- 7.5 foot 2x – Streamer fishing with sink tip
- 7.5 foot 3x – Nymphing 2-3 fly rigs
