I'm getting that itch to start tying rigs up in advance of the next trip . . . which is April. (There aren't any winter runs in my area!) I'm tempted to start tying egg loops and swivels, wrapping a few hundred of these around backer rod and then gingerly placing them in my duffel bag.

On the other hand, I don't want the leaders to look like corkscrews when they come off the backer rod so Plan B might be to leave them straight and hang them from the ceiling (Oh, the wife is gonna love this!) until the last possible moment and then wind them on the backer rod.

Then there's the problem with UV light weakening the mono if the leaders aren't hanging in the dark ["Honey, we're going to leave the blinds drawn in the bedroom for the next FOUR MONTHS to keep the leaders fresh . . . ." is not going to fly despite my being apparently the only person on the Board who has managed to persuade his wife to allow his fishing rods to be stored above the marital bed. (Bob, if you want to put Fishgal to one final test before tying the knot this might be the one.)]

And what is the shelf life of the knots on these pre-ties? Has anyone noticed that last season's leaders are weaker than fresh ones, either at the swivel or the egg loop?

I realise that this is pretty picky stuff, but I'm saving my really vital questions (round vs. eared shot, #7 vs. #10 barrel swivels, hook colors) for March when the cabin fever is getting really bad. This is just an early dose.

I'm all worked up now. I'm going to have to go home and watch a steelhead video, or maybe drift some yarn in the mangroves.

Bill Herzog had a good in a recent STS. Get a length of foam pipe insulation stick the hooks into one end with the leaders hanging down the length of the foam, and shove the thing into a piece of PVC about the same diameter as the foam. This way they store in a straight position and don't come out all kinked. Also keeps them out of UV light if you're concerned about that.
I've never noticed any problems with knots after a few months, and I've caught springers on leaders that I tied up many months before fishing them. Hope this helps