SHIMANO ULTEGRA SILK SHOCK HOOKLINK LINE
Price: £ 3.49 for 50m

Shimano say:

Silk Shock offers:

  • Superior Wet Knot strength
  • Controlled stretch
  • Suppleness (Low Memory)
  • Abrasion resistant
  • Accurate diameter
  • Low Visibility
  • Total Reliability
SILK SHOCK TECHNOLOGY embraces all these vital characteristics and blends them together to produce possibly the most advanced high tech mono available – Ultegra Silk Shock.

Tested for over a year by Alan Scotthorne it has simply out performed anything in it’s class in terms suppleness and strength, as Alan often remarks “it’s so soft”.

Try this easy test:

Pull a measured length of line from dispenser through a gentle grip of finger and thumb, this will warm and charge up the molecules, hold line taught for a couple of seconds as it cools.

Ultegra Silk Shock now hangs perfectly straight it is no longer bears any relation to the line that was tightly coiled around a small spool only seconds ago. See diagram.


The way it feels to the touch of an international angler of Alan’s calibre is actually a very accurate indication of how it will perform under the water.

Years of top flight match experience has taught Alan what is right and what isn’t. His knowledge is probably more a science and yet his maxim of :

Natural bait presentation = more bites = more fish, is a simple enough philosophy.

Presentation is, of course, a primary consideration but when rig line and hooklinks are subjected to the repeated process of stretch and slackening some high tech lines deteriorate and weaken as the molecular structure changes.

Using Silk Shock technology Shimano have come up with a line that delivers outstanding performance and specifically designed to be highly durable in very demanding situations.

Ultegra Silk Shock is supplied in compact handy dispensers that fit neatly and unobtrusively into smallest seat box drawers or tackle boxes.

Each ergonomic dispenser comes complete with a flip top lid which is 100% dust and grit free when fully snapped shut. The dispenser also has an internal line cutter which also traps the line in place ready for future use. The translucent plastic material blocks harmful UV rays from the sun and guarantees that Ultegra Silk Shock always remains in pristine condition.

Diameter/Breaking Strain
0,06mm, 1.21b (0,54kg)
0,07mm, 1.61b (0,72kg)
0,08mm, 1.91b (0,87kg)
0,09mm, 2.21b (1,00kg)
0,10mm, 2.81b (1,29kg)
0,11 mm, 3.21b (1,47kg)
0,12mm, 4.11b (1,86kg)
0,14mm, 5.41b (2,45kg)
0,16mm, 6.71b (3,05kg)
0,18mm, 7.71b (3,50kg)
0,20mm, 9.41b (4,25kg)
0,22mm, 11.81b (5,35kg)

FISHINGmagic VERDICT

The Japanese manufactured Shimano Ultegra Silk Shock is one of the finest, silkiest and smoothest lines I’ve ever used. I now use it for all my hooklinks when fishing matches and for small fish. I also used it for chub fishing on the Ribble before the season ended and landed some nice fish to over 5lb.

Whilst it is now my line of choice for those times when the finest presentation possible is demanded I would be very wary of it in situations where any kind of bullying tactics are required. It is so fine and fragile-looking for a given diameter it doesn’t fill me with confidence.

That is not a very scientific consideration of course, and the truth may be that it will withstand rougher treatment than I am prepared to give it. But when you don’t have 100% confidence in a product, for whatever reason, you’re unlikely to do well when using it.

But I may be doing the line an injustice, and further use in more demanding situations may help me to change my mind.

As I said though, for more delicate types of fishing, and especially for pole angling, I have yet to see and feel a better line.

I most certainly recommend that you give it a try.

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