Fulling Mill has introduced nine new hook models for 2026, and this is not one of those product launches where the entire range consists of the same hook wearing three slightly different hats.
The new lineup runs from a size 26 grub hook to a 6/0 predator hook. Between those extremes are hooks for dry flies, nymphs, streamers, terrestrials, stillwater patterns, and jigged predator flies. Four designs are barbless and five are barbed.
According to Fulling Mill, developing a new hook takes at least two years from the original concept to the finished hook reaching a fly tyer’s vise. With nine arriving together, somebody in the hook-design department has clearly been busy.
The 2026 lineup at a glance
| Model | Intended role | Key features | Size range |
|---|---|---|---|
| FM 1190 All Purpose Grub | Midges, nymphs, small dries and terrestrials | Curved shank, straight eye, 2X short, black nickel | 10–26 |
| FM 1200 All Purpose Nymph | River and stillwater nymphs | Sproat bend, 2X heavy, 1X long, black nickel | 6–18 |
| FM 5160 Complete Dry | General dry flies | Barbless, down eye, standard shank, straight point | 10–22 |
| FM 5165 Complete Dry Long Shank | Large mayflies and terrestrials | Barbless, down eye, 2X long, straight point | 6–14 |
| FM 5170 Ideal Trout | Dries, nymphs and wet flies | Barbless, Sproat bend, standard wire, bronze | 10–18 |
| FM 5175 Ideal Trout | Dries, nymphs and wet flies | Barbless, Sproat bend, standard wire, black nickel | 10–18 |
| FM 6045 Streamer Stripper V2 | Trout and predator streamers | 1X strong, forged, non-reflective black | 10–4/0 |
| FM 6060 Predator | Bulky streamers for trout, pike and musky | Wide gape, straight eye, 2X long, black nickel | 6–6/0 |
| FM 6065 Predator Jig | Inverted jig streamers | 60-degree cranked shank, forged, short shank, wide gape | 2, 1/0 and 3/0 |
FM 1190 All Purpose Grub: small hook, long job description
The FM 1190 is a curved-shank, straight-eye grub hook with a wide gape and a 2X-short shank. Its size range is unusually broad, running from size 10 all the way down to size 26.
At the small end, it should suit midges and compact CDC dries. Move up through the sizes and it becomes useful for nymphs, beetles, and other terrestrial patterns. That makes “All Purpose” a reasonably honest name rather than something invented five minutes before the catalog deadline.
The short shank and wide gape are the interesting combination here. A tyer gets a compact body profile without surrendering as much working gape as a more crowded conventional hook might.
FM 1200 All Purpose Nymph: the sensible shoes of the collection
Not every new hook needs to look as though it was designed during a lightning storm. The FM 1200 is a conventional 1X-long, 2X-heavy nymph hook with a Sproat bend and black nickel finish.
That should make it a straightforward choice for Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears, mayfly nymphs, damsels, and a long list of patterns that rarely cause arguments at the tying bench. Sizes 6 through 18 cover both small river patterns and much larger stillwater flies.
The 2X-heavy wire is the defining feature. It adds strength and some useful weight, although tyers working on very slim or buoyant patterns will naturally want to account for the heavier wire.
FM 5160 and FM 5165 Complete Dry: standard and stretched
The two Complete Dry models share a barbless design, down eye, and a straight point angled slightly upward. The difference is in the shank.
The FM 5160 uses a standard-length shank and is intended as the generalist of the pair. It should accommodate parachute dries, CDC patterns, deer-hair caddis, and most of the usual dry-fly suspects in sizes 10 through 22.
The FM 5165 extends the idea to a 2X-long shank in sizes 6 through 14. That extra runway is intended for large mayflies such as Green Drakes, Brown Drakes, and Hex patterns, along with bigger terrestrials.
This pairing makes sense. Instead of asking one hook to cover everything from a size 22 CDC fly to a large Hex imitation—an ambition normally associated with overpacked fly boxes—Fulling Mill has separated the standard and long-shank jobs.
FM 5170 and FM 5175 Ideal Trout: choose your finish
The Ideal Trout appears in two finishes: the FM 5170 in bronze and the FM 5175 in black nickel. Otherwise, both are barbless, standard-wire hooks with a standard shank, down eye, and Sproat bend. Both come in sizes 10 through 18.
Fulling Mill positions these between light dry-fly hooks and its heavier competition designs. The standard wire should give them enough strength for larger trout while remaining light enough for dry flies, depending on the pattern and size.
These may be the quiet overachievers in the release. They are not the most dramatic hooks in the group, but a general-purpose barbless Sproat that can move among dries, nymphs, and wet flies is likely to spend more time in many vises than the exotic shapes do.
As for bronze versus black nickel, tyers may choose based on tradition, visibility, pattern design—or the ancient fly-tying principle of buying both and deciding later.
FM 6045 Streamer Stripper V2: heavier, sharper, and less shiny
The Streamer Stripper V2 retains the shape of the earlier design but receives heavier wire, a revised finishing process, and an expanded size range. It is now offered from size 10 to 4/0.
That range is one of its most useful features. The smaller sizes can handle micro streamers and some terrestrial patterns, while the larger hooks move firmly into predator-fly territory. The hook is forged, rated 1X strong, and finished in non-reflective black.
Whether fish care about a hook’s reflectivity is a discussion capable of consuming an entire winter evening. Still, the matte finish gives the hook a purposeful appearance and should blend neatly into darker streamer bodies.
FM 6060 Predator: please clear some room at the vise
The FM 6060 is the broad-shouldered member of the family: a super-strong, wide-gape, 2X-long streamer hook offered from size 6 to 6/0.
The generous gape is meant to leave hooking room beneath bulky materials. That matters when the shank is carrying enough bucktail, flash, and synthetic fiber to resemble a small household pet.
The smaller sizes should be useful for trout streamers, while the upper end is aimed at pike, musky, and other large predators. Among the nine introductions, this is the model most likely to make a size 18 dry-fly hook quietly reconsider its career choices.
FM 6065 Predator Jig: the one with the bend before the bend
The FM 6065 is immediately recognizable by its 60-degree cranked shank. It is a forged, short-shank, wide-gape predator jig hook offered in sizes 2, 1/0, and 3/0.
That cranked front section is intended to make flies ride point-up. For tyers fishing deep around rocks, timber, or vegetation, the inverted posture may reduce—but certainly not abolish—the chance of snagging. The riverbed always gets a vote.
The hook is aimed at jig streamers for pike, bass, trout, and some saltwater applications. It is the most specialized shape in the group and probably the one most likely to inspire experimental patterns.
[In-post image: fulling-mill-predator-hooks-2026.jpg]
Suggested caption: At the large end of the lineup, Fulling Mill has added conventional streamer, wide-gape predator, and 60-degree jig-hook options.
What stands out in the new range?
The most notable feature is not any single model but the coverage of the collection. Fulling Mill has added both practical, familiar forms and a few more specialized options.
For general trout tying, the FM 1190, FM 1200, and the two Ideal Trout finishes may have the broadest everyday appeal. Dry-fly tyers get a logical standard/long-shank pairing in the FM 5160 and 5165. Streamer tyers, meanwhile, receive three meaningfully different choices rather than three minor variations on one shape.
It is also good to see the specifications described in familiar terms—2X short, 2X heavy, Sproat bend, standard wire, and so on. Those labels do not tell us everything about a hook, but they give tyers a useful starting point for comparison.
A collector’s note
These are working hooks first, not instant collectibles. Still, new-product launches are worth documenting. Packaging, finishes, size ranges, and even model descriptions can change over time. An unopened first-version packet, photographed and dated now, may eventually become useful evidence for identifying later variations.
The FM 6045 is especially worth recording because it is explicitly described as a V2 update, while the bronze and black-nickel versions of the Ideal Trout create a tidy finish comparison from the beginning.
In other words: tie with them, but perhaps save a packet or two for the future hook historians. We are a patient and slightly peculiar bunch.
Final thoughts
Fulling Mill’s 2026 additions form a well-balanced release. There are no revolutionary claims required here: the useful part is that the nine hooks fill genuinely different roles, from minute curved-shank patterns to oversized predator streamers.
The FM 1190’s size range, the everyday versatility of the Ideal Trout models, and the three distinct streamer/predator designs are the highlights for me. Which hook proves most useful will depend on what is being tied—but there should be at least one model here capable of causing an unplanned addition to the next materials order.
Full specifications and the original announcement are available from Fulling Mill’s 2026 hook introduction.
