Black `ultima` line!

[solehunter]

Without swearing, i cannot tell you all how bad this line is! (black ultima)...
When i worked in ryde on the island, i popped into the local shop on the way home as i wanted to go that night but one of my reels had a lack of decent line. I thought i would spend a bit better as i always went for the lower end of the line market.
"This is good stuff" the shop keeper said, handing me a spool of black ultima line......£14
Excitedly, i headed out that night with my new spool of line (20lb).
After an hours fishing i realised my line was buried in the shingle, after a gentle tug it snapped!!!!.....OK, i thought, silly me......don't let that happen!
Another night, it snapped on me just reeling in over sand, for no reason.........

Another night , i gave my mate the spool of left over line to make up his empty spool....only to be scorned for giving him sh1te line!!!

The stories go on..... Another guy i talked to about it went into a fascinating rage about the stuff , blaming it for a loss of a big cod!
Avoid like the plague

[RichardB]

Tell me about it - I've got a big spool of the bloody stuff and it's loaded on two of my reels even now ! I've suffered a couple of 'mysterious' line failures and lost a potentially good fish when I struck into it I'm so tight though, I'm still using it - no failures recently, but I really must replace it .

[stevieboy]

Heh, nice one SoleHunter, this is the kind of review we need. I'll be steering way clear of this stuff...

[Pete B]

Is this Ultima 'F1' your both talking about? I have some 15lb F1 translucent browny kind of colour stuff & thought it was ok. I also have some black F1 18lb that Ive only used on my last outing (so far ok). People used to rave on about the F1 because it has a fairly low diametre, 20lb is same diametre as most 15lb tests.
You boys will have to let me know, I may need to strip some line before my Dungy trip this coming Friday!

[RichardB]

Yes Pete - Black Ultima F1 is the stuff I've got.
It was recommended to me at Dave's Tackle in Gosport when I bought a reel. I must admit it casts extremely well, but as I say, there has been one or two un-accounted for failures of the line - simply parting at random points along it's length. This is not the first time I've seen adverse comments about it.

[Pete B]

Some Crimbo spool stripping for me then!

[RichardB]

I would add despite my damning comments about it, I actually like using it ! Plus I've successfully landed some nice fish on it. But I'm changing the line frequently now.

[Pete B]

Yeh, I probably will give it another session or two given its ok performance on its first session but the daunting thought of loosing that really good fish may just get the better of me

[RichardB]

I don't blame you. Another slight down side - it's a bugger to see it at night !

[solehunter]

I have to admit, i dont know wether it was `F1`or just black ultima . I have a feeling it was the latter, as i noticed the spools of F1 on the shelves a few years later and thought to myself "god, i hope its better than the last black sh*e".
But anyway, i know many who wont go near ANY black ultima line and has become a bit of a running joke anytime any of us looses any tackle!
The `new` gold line they do is supposed to be awesome though