Surf Candy

The Surf Candy is a popular saltwater fly for striped bass fishing. It is an epoxy fly that can be made to look like many baitfish, and it is very durable. Even bluefish can't cause it much damage.

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About The Surf Candy Fly

When striped bass are feeding on small baitfish such as Bay Anchovies, the Surf Candy is the fly to choose. It not only catches striped bass but also bluefish and false albacore.

The Surf Candy is tied using epoxy. Epoxy flies have given a whole new direction to saltwater fly tying. Epoxy is one of the most widely-used synthetic materials for saltwater flies today; whether for protecting thread wraps, or providing form for fly bodies.

Bob Popovic was the first to perfect the use of epoxy in fly tying. He used the epoxy to shape a realistic, translucent minnow body, and wedded it with hair, which gave it movement. The key lay first and formost in manipulating and constantly sculpting the body with a bodkin until the epoxy material gelled and set.

As the use of epoxy in fly tying gained wide acceptance and was used for more fly patterns, the name Surf Candies was adopted for the the whole series of creations using epoxy.

A new material has recently become available that may prove superior to epoxy to make shaped flies. The material is "Tuffleye" acrylic resin. It is easy to use, it requires no mixing, it is very hard when cured using a special blue light, and it doesn't yellow over time. Bob Popovic has been experimenting with this material and is reported to be pleased and excited by it.

Follow this link to learn more about: Tuffleye

More information about Bob Popovic's flies can be found in his book
Pop Fleyes: Bob Popovic's Approach to Saltwater Fly Design", which he co-authored with Ed Javorowski.

If you are going to fly fish for striped bass, make sure you have some Surf Candy Flies.