The
Silicone Surf Candy
By Richard
Carter
The Surf Candy is a widely used
baitfish fly in the US and here in Australia. The original Surf
Candy fly was developed by Bob Popovics. Since that time many
a fly tier from many places in the world have tied the original
pattern for standard baitfish imitations. Although I have been
tying this silicone version fly for several years now, I recently
got the book - Innovative Saltwater Flies, a collation of tiers
and their flies by Bob Veverka, a great book for expanding your
saltwater fly concepts and your fly box. In it I was interested
and surprised to see a fly I thought I had originated, designed
and tied long before I even started tying saltwater flies, this
one the 'Silicone fly' by Johnny Glenn. It reminded me that there
is nothing new in fly tying, just rehashed ideas of others. Though
to come up with a fly pattern for similar reasons on opposites
sides of the world does encourage one. This is why you will never
see me patent a fly design, you can almost guarantee that someone
has design the same fly before you even thought of the need.
It's not as if any one has made their fortune with one or two
patented flies either. Your don't find too many millionaire commercial
fly tiers do you! Anyway enough hobby horse and ethics thrashing,
back to the fly at hand.
If you have read my previous
fly tying articles you should be aware by now of my aversion
to epoxy based flies or at least large amounts of it in a fly
pattern. Extra weight added to the fly might as well cast a rock
or sinker and knock the fish out. Plus a real pain in the arse
to twist about while the epoxy is setting. With half of the time
the epoxy not setting in the right shape you need or want. The
heavier original epoxy based pattern in its own application is
well suited, but in my mind a lot of dicking around with a large
dollop of dripping epoxy all at once, which is not something
I enjoy doing. I also think the original all epoxy fly when taken
by the fish would not feel right, too hard to the mouth and totally
unexpected by the predator who may reject the fly quicker than
you can react and set the hook.
There a lot of baitfish out there
that are small and at times almost see through. The Silicone
Surf Candy can fill this role from 2cm no-see-um glassies to
4 inch plus versions of the real thing. Most of the baitfish
I see are near the surface so when using an epoxy based Surf
Candy the fly will always be sinking faster than needed or you
have to strip it too fast to keep it in the top layers of the
water. So in the need of staying in the strike zone longer the
original pattern had to give way to a the lighter silicone body
based version (plus be easier to tie!)
In this variation to the original
after tying in the wing materials I shape the body with silicone
first then apply a very light layer of epoxy as opposed to a
body of only epoxy. This light layer of epoxy is only applied
to the back, eyes and head of the fly. This to help simulate
the actual baitfish. The predator now clamping down on a fly
pattern with a soft under belly and a firmer top which seems
more "match the hatch" to me.
The silicone bodies can be tweaked
for quite a while to get that body profile just right. Unlike
epoxy which you only have a couple of minutes to shape. This
silicone based method does require a longer drying time but without
the tendency to sag as with epoxy. By making a dozen or so at
a time you can maximise your output for time spent, leaving your
silicone to dry overnight and applying the epoxy and optional
markings the next evening or night.
I use both long shank and short
shank hook types for this pattern depending on the species I
intend to target. Either a Mustad 34011, 34039NPSS or a straightened
92608 would do the job for long shank versions. While I mainly
use Mustad 34007 and Tiemco 811s for the short shank versions.
All debarded of course for ease of catch and release.
The main materials of the fly
are the body material of Selley's All-Clear silicone with the
light coating of five minute epoxy. Some stick on prism eyes.
Wing materials in the form of a little Fishhair, Ultrahair, Polar
Fibre, Kinky Fibre, or even the fibres of a $2 synthetic feather
duster. What ever wing material is chosen, you will need it in
both light and dark colourations to form the bi-coloured tail
or wing. A few artistic permanent pen markings and presto one
'match the hatch' saltwater baitfish pattern. You could use bucktail
but by using the synthetic hair type fibres if the fly gets chewed
up you can just re-apply the silicone, eyes and epoxy to give
you a new fly again. As the synthetic hairs are less likely to
be cut or trimmed by toothy predators than the bucktail.
The Silicone Surf Candy has proven
itself on saltwater species such as bream, flathead, tailor and
Australian Salmon in my local waters near Newcastle, NSW. When
fly fishing a few years ago in SE QLD I used the pattern for
pelagics (spotted mackerel and smaller tuna species) focusing
on small glassies and the larger Hardyheads that inhabit Moreton
Bay. The Mack Tuna that roam in packs around Goat and Peel Islands
on the southern end of Moreton Bay were very fond of the pattern.
Tarpon and Saratoga are other species that enjoy a just sub-surface
swimming version cast on a floating line. I have even cast an
all black version to low light smelting trout with a little success
for the few casts made.
While working in Whyalla, SA
recently, my children and I caught unlimited numbers tommy ruff
and salmon trout on the pattern that hung about in the shadow
of the BHP ore jetty. Cast to the sun lit water - no fish would
be the result, but by casting into the shadow of the ore jetty,
tight lines would nearly always follow. They probably felt safer
in the darker water or less silhouetted to predators in the shadow
of the ore jetty.
It can be tied in a variety of
sizes, shapes, and wing material colours. Examples include 'olive
over white' (my favourite), 'blue or green over white' or 'grey
or black over white'. If you want to get really fancy try half
white, then a little pink, then a little mauve or purple, then
some light blue, then dark blue, then a couple of strands of
black. I call it my ALF fly - an acronym for 'Artificial Life
Form', I use this style of coloured hair stacking, from the flies
by Kate Howe profile fly series, in a lot of pattern types (see
finished patterns section at end of article). Optionally using
all white wing materials and then coloured glitter can be added
to the silicone in the top half of the fly. Coloured permanent
markers also can be used to add a tinge of colour to your pattern.
Different coloured stick on prism eyes can be used to clone local
baitfish more closely and appropriately but the common black
on pearl prism tape will suffice most situations.
The Silicone Surf Candy is not
as durable as the epoxy only bodied original Surf Candy but if
I get one fish a fly it has returned is cost in time, effort
and materials quite sufficiently. I get an excuse to tie some
more and buy some more fly tying materials. Think about it -
if you are losing and destroying flies you are at least hooking
up to fish. Why complain about one fly getting mashed in the
jaws of a fish. There are a lot of anglers who hardly see a fish,
with the rape and pillage of commercial fishery efforts, let
alone have a tug a war with one for a few minutes. Count yourself
lucky and then enjoy tying some more flies, then go use, lose
and abuse them too. Might not keep the wife happy, but the fly
shop owners will love you.
Having said that this variation
is not as durable as the original, the Silicone Surf Candy is
still quite durable, lasting several fish each before the silicone
even starts to tear. Tie them by the dozen, replace the torn
ones for fresh ones. Then repair the torn ones with a little
fresh silicone when you get home ready for the next outing. When
catching the salmon trout in Whyalla most afternoons after work,
some of the flies had been repaired several times over before
the salmon trout moved on for the season.
Materials List
Thread : 6/0 to 3/0 White Uni-Thread or clear
mono thread.
Hook : Mustard 34007, Tiemco 800s or 811s. For short shank
versions Mustad 34011, 34039NPSS or a straightened 92608 for
the long shank versions.
Body :
Lower wing - light coloured synthetic hair.
Lateral Line - Pearl Flashabou.
Upper Wing - a darker coloured synthetic hair than the lower
wing.
Selley's All-Clear silicone.
Five minute epoxy.
Eyes : Stick on prismatic. (black on pearl most common,
black on yellow next common).
Markings : Red, blue, green, olive and black permanent
markers, as desired or required.
Tying Sequence
1) Lay down a bed of thread, only the front half on the hook,
advance thread to hook eye.
2) If you are tying a weighted version add your lead wire at
this point. Wrapping it around the hook shank then applying a
little head cement or super glue before over wrapping with a
little thread for durablity.
3) Cut a length of synthetic wing material half the thickness
you need, twice as long as the length you need. When I tie a
short shank version I stick to a wing length ratio of 2 to 2.5
times the length of the hook shank. Depending on the targeted
species of course (see 'Saltwater Fly Concepts' article series
for more detail on hook selection and fly proportions based on
the selected target species and it's physical characteristics).
Place the wing material behind
your thread as it hangs by the thread bobbin.
4) Take each end of the wing material clump and bring together
around your thread. Hold the tips in your fingers with the tips
of the wing material angled upwards and towards yourself.
5) Take the thread up, over the hook shank and away from you.
By maintaining the tension and an angle on the wing material
while wrapping the thread you will slide the wing material down
to the hook shank along the thread as you slowly wrap the thread
around the hook shank. By hold the wing material on an angle
you will keep the wing material on top of the hook shank while
you bind in the synthetic wing material. Only bind the first
few millimetres of the wing material - 6 - 15 wraps depending
on thread size.
*** This tying method helps in
not allowing the wing material fibres pulling out later when
a fish is chewing on it as would happen in you just tied in just
the wing material fibre ends and will keep the wing material
on top of the hook shank while tying them in not as sometimes
happens with the wing materials rolling over to the far side
of the hook shank ***
6) Repeat the above for tying
in a few pieces of Flashabou.
7) Then repeat again with the darker upper wing, then tie off
thread.
8) After dipping your fingers in a mixture of water and dishwashing
liquid take a dollop of silicone and form a cylinder with the
silicone. You can leave the fly in the vice or remove it for
this and following steps.
9) Mould this around your hook shank and wing materials to form
the cylinder type profile of a baitfish from the hook eye to
the hook bend. Ensure you fully enclose the wing materials and
the thread at the head of the fly.
10) Place on a pair of prism eyes and set the fly aside to dry
for 24 -48 hours.
11) You can after this drying stage apply any marker pens to
form gills or any outlines desired or even a darker back section
on the very top of the fly.
12) Then mix a little five minute epoxy and apply a very light
layer to the back, head and eyes of your fly only.
13) Allow epoxy to dry evenly, I use a small battery powered
rotary dryer for drying small amounts of epoxy, for $40 -$50
is wasn't a bad investment - very handy.
14) Then go catch some fish. This one a small chopper in local
waters berleyed up with a little crushed up pilchard.
I also tie another variation
with a little lead wire wrapped around the hook shank in the
nose region or place asilver conehead on the hook before tying
in the wing materials for adding extra action to the pattern
or when I do want the pattern to sink fast. A rattle tied to
the top and front of the hook shank before tying in the wing
materials is another variation. Also working flecks of craft
glitter into silicone would give built-in flash. Green or blue
glitter on top half and pearl or silver on the bottom for example
would help in further "match the hatch". As you can
see lots of possibilities with only your imagination as a boundary.
As for their use, most estuary
and inshore no-see-um, see through, glassy or other baitfish
I have seen are near the top of the water column, so great for
sight fishing applications as the predators are never far away.
Depending on how you tie it, the materials and the fly line/leader
setup used you can place this pattern anywhere in the water column
the baitfish may reside or travel between feeding locations.
If your wing material is constantly
fouling on the hook bend, try extending the silicone a little
past the hook bend along the wing material. This can greatly
reduce this fault in your material choice as not too many flies
with fouled wing material get taken. Plus they usually spin on
the retrieve and twist up your leaders.
If casting to a ball of baitfish
being harassed by predatory species, cast right into the school
of bait and then let your fly sink down and through the bait
ball. Once you reach past the bottom of the school - hang on
as many predators are there waiting for injured or exhausted
baitfish to expose itself . No stripping required, though a little
can help at times - a very erratic flicking effect imparted to
the fly just like a wounded baitfish acts.
Finished Patterns
Purple Duster SSC
Blue Duster
SSC
El Cheapo Dusters
Purple Duster SSC, Blue Duster SSC & El Cheapo Dusters for
a dollar each from those reject shops you have enough materials
for a few thousand flies each.
Hook up SSC
Hook point up weighed SSC, weighted
on only one side of the hook shank. A good fly for flathead.
Long Shank SSC
Long Shank SSC - a hook type
I use for tailer and other pelagics that are known for tail nipping.
ALF SSC
ALF (Artificial Life Form) SSC
- only tied when I have time to tie more life like patterns.
Always have a few in the fly box in case the fish I am targeting
are being fussy about their dietary intake and won't take my
standard olive/white versions.
Copyright ©1999
Richard Carter
