The style was developed by American fly tier Bob Popovics in the 1970s for bluefish, tuna and striped bass on the Atlantic coast.

[4] The original Surf Candies were tied with bucktail or polar bear hair but the flies quickly evolved with the use of synthetic materials like ultrahair.

[5] Although the original purpose of the epoxy was for durability, it had the added side-effect of providing translucency for the body, a characteristic that enhanced imitations of a wide variety of baitfish.

Today's surf candy flies are typically tied with synthetic fibers, Mylar flash for accents and body and some form of eyes.

By layering different colors, textures and amount of synthetic fibers fly tiers can create a the desired profile of the different baitfish the Surf Candy imitates.