Bob Popovics' Surf Candy, as shown here, had evolved from years of experimenting with epoxy. The earliest versions primarily had durability in mind. Polar bear hair and bucktail were used, but D.H. Thompson's UltraHair, and Super Hair from Bestway Products, are now the most commonly used materials, since these synthetics are tougher than natural fibers. More than 30 bluefish have been caught on a single Candy, testifying to its near indestructibility.

Surf Candies replicate small oceanic bait fish like silversides (spearing), bay anchovies, sandeels, and such. They are among the most popular small bait fish imitations in use today for striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, false albacore and bonito. In fact, it's hard to find a saltwater angler whose fly box doesn't sport some version of the original Surf Candy, regardless of the name. The idea of the fly is to sculpt a fish body with epoxy, using a few basic procedures. Surf Candies have also been modified in countless ways by countless tiers, to take advantage of translucency, realism, body form, flash, color, weight. You can add or adapt components according to your need or whim. You can add feathers, mylar strips or bead heads. You can replace the crinkled nylon with Craft Fur, rabbit strips, or any number of natural hairs or synthetic fibers. To increase or decrease the fly's weight or change the color, tiers have added tungsten powder, microballoons, or food coloring.

The flies shown here were tied by Bob. Don't regard the steps as hard and fast tying dictates. They represent a way of thinking and an approach to problem solving in the creative tying process. Use the instructions and photos as a guide. Creativity comes from adapting the basics to a different need or purpose. Here's how to tie the flies that began a tying-fishing revolution.

Tying the Simple Surf Candy

Materials:
• Super Hair or UltraHair (you can also use Craft Fur, Kinky Fiber, another synthetic, or bucktail)
• Standard or short shank salt water hook, commonly # 2 through 1/0; Tiemco 800S used here
• Fine monofilament thread
• Flashabou, Krystal Flash, or other preferred flash
• Devcon clear 5-Minute Epoxy
• Self sticking decal eyes
• Red Sharpie permanent marker, fine or medium point

1. Wrap thread on the entire shank and leave it hanging close to the eye. 2. Attach mylar tinsel in front position. (Steps 2 and 3 are optional, but the tinsel adds some internal flash.) 3. Wrap tinsel to the bend and back again to the front before tying off. 4. Tie in a bunch of Ultra hair behind the hook eye on the top side of the shank. Before you attach it, trim the butt ends square, not tapered, and fasten it down only in the front of the fly, behind the eye. Don't fasten it securely yet. Note that the length is not critical when using synthetic hair, since this will be trimmed when the fly is completed. Of course, with bucktail or any natural hair you will have to determine the finished length before you tie down the hair. 5. Using your index finger and thumb, spread the hair evenly around the hook shank and fasten it down securely with your thread. 6. Add some flash on the top and tie it down. 7. Prepare a second bunch of hair as above, and attach it to the top of the fly. This is normally in a contrasting color. 8. Prepare the 5-minute epoxy by squeezing out a dime sized bead of each, epoxy resin and hardener. Mix as described earlier and apply using a bodkin. Make this first coat just heavy enough to avoid excessive sagging and dripping. This coat will determine the fly body thickness and shape. Start at the head and work gradually back to, but not beyond, the bend of the hook. Hold the wing material with the finger and thumb of your free hand and force the epoxy in between the hairs so that they are saturated. Occasionally pull the hair into line to get a fuller or slimmer body, as you prefer, while the epoxy is setting. Finger pressure on the material is an important part of forming epoxy fly bodies. We recommend that you use a rotating drying wheel only if you want a round, cylindrical body. Otherwise, it's best to perform this operation with the hook in your hand or in a rotating vise so that you can control where you want the epoxy thicker or thinner, sculpting the body the whole time with your bodkin. 9. First coat of epoxy has been applied. The shape and form of the fly are now determined. A material clip can be used to support material so that the wing dries parallel to the hook shank. Always try to keep the hair or fiber material parallel to the hook shank or just very slightly upward angled. If it is angled downward from the bend at all, it will impede the fly's action and movement. 10. After the epoxy is set and dry, apply small prism eyes. Before peeling them from their paper backing, sharply crease them so that they will more closely follow the contour of the fly body and not stand out straight like car hubcaps. 11. Eyes in place, well forward on head. 12. Red gill slashes can be added with a Sharpie pen. This is a simple and quick way to give a touch of realism. We have given up on any gill suggestions that involve additional tying steps. 13. Applying the second, finish epoxy coat. It is nearly always better to use two lighter coats than one heavy one. It=s easier to work with thinner coats and the material cures better and more uniformly. 14. If the epoxy runs or a drip forms, use your needle to reposition the epoxy and keep rotating and turning the fly while you work with it. This coat will smooth out the finish and give a hard luster to the fly. 15. The completed Simple Surf Candy, waiting to be trimmed. 16. Using the tips of your scissors, snip small amounts of material to get the shape you desire. Start near the hook bend and work to the rear. Don't just cut the tail square. Remember, most synthetics don't have a taper of their own but you can make wonderful tapered flies with your scissor work.