[Austin W Hogan]

i have always found a handfull of bottom from the stream you are fishing to be the best medicine for a new leader. Grab a handful and pull the leader through it a couple of times. If you have trouble with the knot the leather punch a Boy Scout knife or similar works; put the punch in the eye as you tighten the leader knot.
With all that said , present day leader really stinks. I never lost a fish to a leader break until last year, when I lost several. I fish hard rock streams that are pretty abrasive, but my old leaders held well. I lost a dozen or more early in the season. I have cut my leaders back to about 0x or 1x but I still loose a few.
The other interesting point is that modern graphite rods won't turn over a small nymph on a short cast. I have pretty well gone back to my old fibreglas rods for small streams

Best, Austin