Hi Leo C,

You mentioned that your blood knot is failing on you. Do you wet the knot before pulling everthing tight? I find if I don't put enough spit on it that when your pulling it together the heat from the fricton of the 2 lines you will actually melt and stretch the line. Usually you can feel it do this and when you go to test the knot by pulling on both pieces of line it will ususally break. I make my own leaders and I use the blood knot for all my joints in my leaders and very seldom have one break unless I'm hooked in a tree and have to break my leader to get it out.

My 2 cents worth,
Alan (salmonguy)