Sorry to resurrect an older thread but I only just saw it and the subject's on my mind at the moment.
Re braid: I had only ever fished with it once - on a sea loch back in the NW Highlands of Scotland - and I liked the fact that it gave me a sense of direct contact and instant feedback. I bought some of the exact same Power Pro line that Billamicasr used, and to that attached a 3-4 ft length of 10lb mono. It was this setup I was using when I got that first Steelhead I posted in the appropriate thread. First time using braid on a river and again I found the feedback to be very helpful at times in giving me some indication of what the lure was doing and also the current. One thing I noticed though is that it's very easy to "feel" or imagine you're feeling false bites. I guess river-bottom obstructions and holes and eddies when encountered can sometimes translate up the line as contact with the fish, but all-in-all I found it very positive and responsive to fish with.
Taking of knots though: I must admit I was scratching my head as to what this "double uni knot" is because it's not a term we use widely in the UK as far as I know. However, looking at diagrams it appears to be very close to the knot we call the double grinner and a damn-sight easier to tie than a double blood knot which I know some fly fishing purists in Britain still use to make droppers when tapering their own leaders instead of the three or four-turn water knot which, while much easier to tie, doesn't stand out quite so well from the mainline.
Incidentally, it seems you guys are using this knot to tie the braid directly to the mono (if I'm reading it right). When I was at Oxbow that day, and again at Dabney Skunked Park (guess what kind of afternoon that was...) I used a barrel swivel between the braid and the mono to eliminate line-twist and for easier re-tying of the leader if I was broken off (in my dreams!) or irretrievably snagged.
Just some thoughts.