Jason -

Can't help you on the basic question regarding a blood knot. But since you seem to be looking at alternatives, I thought I would suggest the Castwell Knot.

I put a new fly line on one of my reels yesterday. Since I started using the Castwell Knot a couple months ago I've been really pleased with it. So I wondered how it would do attaching the new line to the backing. Already had a loop in the end of the backing, so I attached the fly line with the C. K.

It is very simple, and seems very secure. Now, hopefully, I'll catch a really big brown that will finally get me to my backing and I'll find out just how good, or bad, that idea was !!

John